COVID-19 PCR test cost in Waterloo, IA — inpatient
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test) as an inpatient: from $67.15 to $152.75, with a median of $152.75. The lowest listed price is at Allen Hospital — $85.60 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $96.53 at 35 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 87635, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Hospital lowest Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 HC COVID-19 LAB TEST NON-CDC AMP PRB | $67.15 | $83.93 | $54.30 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Allen Hospital Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 CHG IADNA SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE TQ | $103.20 | $129.00 | $51.31–$84.01 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Sars-Cov-2/Covid-19 | $152.75 | $235.00 | $49.71–$235.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Sartori Memorial Hospital Cedar Falls, IA · (319) 268-3000 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Sars-Cov-2/Covid-19 | $152.75 | $235.00 | $49.71–$235.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $67.15, median $152.75, highest $152.75 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $152.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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 it is
This is the lab (PCR or similar amplification) test for the virus that causes COVID-19. It is more sensitive than a rapid antigen test and is often required before some procedures or travel.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test on a swab sample; the collection may be billed separately.