Hepatitis C RNA test cost in California

In California, 182 hospitals publish a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test: from $20.00 to $940.37, with a median of $87.88. The lowest price is at UCI Health - Fountain Valley (Orange) and 3 other hospitals. The highest price is 47.0× the lowest.

• The median here, $87.88, is 57% below the US median of $202.46.
• That is 2.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($42.84).
• California ranks 2nd of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 56 of 182 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 87522. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map