HIV antibody test cost in California

In California, 174 hospitals publish a cash price for HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibody test: from $6.00 to $1,022.75, with a median of $58.82. The lowest price is at Mountains Community Hospital (Lake Arrowhead). The highest price is 170.5× the lowest.

• The median here, $58.82, is 17% below the US median of $70.49.
• That is 4.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($13.71).
• California ranks 17th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
• 63 of 174 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 86703. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map