COVID-19 PCR test cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 16 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $22.00 to $168.00, with a median of $130.00. The lowest listed price is at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital — $108.00 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $97.03 at 57 hospitals.
- The median here, $130.00, is 31% above the US median of $98.92.
- That is 2.5× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($51.31).
- St. Louis, MO ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Missouri by median, cheapest first.
- 1 of 16 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 16 facilities across 15 cities for code 87635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 6, 2026 and Jun 10, 2026.
Lowest$22.00Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital
Median$130.00half of hospitals charge less
Highest$168.00in this market
Difference7.6×highest vs lowest
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in St. Louis, MO-IL.
median
Lowest $22.00Highest $382.32
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital lowest Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 POC Rapid Nasal COVID Test File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $22.00 | $27.50 | — | 20% |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $64.80 | $90.00 | $25.20–$128.28 | 28% |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $64.80 | $90.00 | $25.20–$128.28 | 28% |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 COVID19 PRB File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $67.98 | $113.30 | $113.30 | 40% |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $68.40 | $95.00 | $19.00–$95.00 | 28% |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL · (618) 234-2120 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST - 2 DAY COMPLETION File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $72.00 | $100.00 | $28.00–$128.28 | 28% |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis one side Saint Louis, MO · (314) 251-6000 POC Covid-19, Rt-Pcr File of Jun 4, 2026 · source file | $116.35 | $179.00 | $11.64–$179.00 | 35% |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson one side Festus, MO · (636) 933-1000 POC Covid-19, Rt-Pcr File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$200.00 | 35% |
| Mercy Hospital Washington one side Washington, MO · (636) 239-8000 POC Covid-19, Rt-Pcr File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$180.00 | 35% |
| Mercy Hospital South one side Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Covid-19, Rt-Pcr+1 more line at this price File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$200.00 | 35% |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis one side Saint Louis, MO · (314) 251-6000 Covid-19, Rt-Pcr File of Jun 4, 2026 · source file | $130.00 | $200.00 | $13.00–$200.00 | 35% |
| Touchette Regional Hospital Cahokia Heights, IL · (618) 332-3060 Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), amplified probe technique File of Apr 13, 2026 · source file | $131.75 | $212.50 | $8.08–$202.00 | 38% |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln one side Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Covid-19, Rt-Pcr File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $137.80 | $212.00 | $13.78–$212.00 | 35% |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $142.56 | $198.00 | $30.13–$198.00 | 28% |
| Carlinville Area Hospital Carlinville, IL · (217) 854-3141 SARS COV2 PCR File of Mar 21, 2026 · source file | $143.50 | $205.00 | $73.80–$292.86 | 30% |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $144.00 | $200.00 | $40.00–$200.00 | 28% |
| Mercy Hospital Washington one side Washington, MO · (636) 239-8000 Covid-19, Rt-Pcr File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $148.20 | $228.00 | $14.82–$205.20 | 35% |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $156.24 | $217.00 | $31.63–$217.00 | 28% |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson one side Festus, MO · (636) 933-1000 Covid-19, Rt-Pcr File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $156.65 | $241.00 | $46.18–$115.45 | 35% |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL · (618) 234-2120 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 TEST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $165.60 | $230.00 | $30.13–$230.00 | 28% |
| Anderson Hospital Maryville, IL · (618) 288-5711 2019-NCOV OTHER DX PANEL File of Feb 6, 2026 · source file | $165.95 | $331.90 | $47.97–$298.71 | 50% |
| Community Hospital of Staunton Staunton, IL · (618) 635-2200 2019-NCOV OTHER DX PANEL File of Feb 9, 2026 · source file | $167.55 | $335.10 | $96.00–$304.94 | 50% |
| Jersey Community Hospital Jerseyville, IL · (618) 498-6402 Coronavirus (COVID-19) PCR (GeneXpert) File of Mar 10, 2026 · source file | $168.00 | $168.00 | $87.86–$142.80 | — |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $288.00 | $400.00 | $30.13–$400.00 | 28% |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $331.92 | $461.00 | $30.13–$461.00 | 28% |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $342.00 | $475.00 | $31.63–$475.00 | 28% |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $367.20 | $510.00 | $51.31–$510.00 | 28% |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL · (618) 234-2120 SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $382.32 | $531.00 | $30.13–$531.00 | 28% |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Outpatient: lowest $22.00, median $130.00, highest $168.00 — a 7.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $70.20. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 13 of 15 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What COVID-19 PCR test is, what the price covers and why prices differ: COVID-19 PCR test explained.