Herpes (HSV-1) blood test cost in California

In California, 190 hospitals publish a cash price for herpes blood test, HSV-1 antibody: from $4.78 to $381.61, with a median of $19.38. The lowest price is at Pioneers Memorial Hospital (Brawley). The highest price is 79.8× the lowest.

• The median here, $19.38, is 67% below the US median of $58.67.
• That is 1.5× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($13.19).
• California ranks 2nd of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
• 59 of 190 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 86695. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map