COVID-19 PCR test cost in Emmetsburg, IA — inpatient
In Emmetsburg, IA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test) as an inpatient: from $90.00 to $90.00, with a median of $90.00. Across Iowa, the median is $118.40 at 79 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 87635, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Emmetsburg, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto County Hospital lowest Emmetsburg, IA · (712) 852-5500 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) RNA (ID Now) | $90.00 | $120.00 | $81.00–$120.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Palo Alto County Hospital Emmetsburg, IA · (712) 852-5500 Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); sev | $130.50 | $174.00 | $118.00–$174.00 | 25% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $90.00, median $90.00, highest $90.00.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $90.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 87635 ($92.22). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Palo Alto County Hospital Emmetsburg, IACOVID-19 Testing Send Out | $1.50 | file |