How much does SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR cost in Colorado?

CPT 87635 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for Colorado.

Estimates only. Educational estimates from public Medicare benchmarks and hospital-published prices — not a guarantee, and not legal, medical, or financial advice.
87635 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR
Ask to pay
$71
This is the local cash / self-pay price — usually the best rate you can ask for.
What Medicare paysⓘ
$51
Typical price near you
$71
Cash / self-pay price
$71
Prices near you — 39 facilities, lowest first
FacilityTypePricevs MedicareQuality
Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital (Wheat Ridge) lowest ⚠ likely error Hospital $0negotiated 0.0× ★★★★★
Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital (Grand Junction) ⚠ likely error Hospital $0negotiated 0.0× ★★★★★
Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital (Denver) ⚠ likely error Hospital $0negotiated 0.0× ★★★★★
Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital (Lafayette) ⚠ likely error Hospital $0negotiated 0.0× ★★★★★
Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital (Brighton) ⚠ likely error Hospital $0negotiated 0.0× ★★★★★
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Hospital $22cash 0.4× —
UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital Hospital $32cash 0.6× ★★★★★
UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital (Longmont) Hospital $37cash 0.7× ★★★★★
Banner North Colorado Medical Center (Greeley) Hospital $43cash 0.8× ★★★★★
UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central (Colorado Springs) Hospital $45cash 0.9× ★★★★★
UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora) Hospital $47cash 0.9× ★★★★★
Boulder Community Health Foothills Hospital (Boulder) Hospital $53cash 1.0× ★★★★★
Prices from each hospital's public machine-readable file; imaging & surgery-center prices are published self-pay rates (often the cheapest option). vs Medicare is how many times the Medicare rate each facility charges. 5 unusually low/high prices excluded from the typical price as likely data errors.
💬 What to say — negotiation scripts
  • For 87635 (SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR), Medicare's benchmark rate is $51.31. A fair self-pay target for this line is $71.33. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
  • Your own published cash / self-pay price for 87635 is $71.33, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $45.00–$147.43. Please apply a rate in that range to my bill rather than the gross charge.
  • Please send a fully itemized bill listing every CPT/HCPCS/DRG code and its individual charge, so I can review each line against published rates.
  • Separately, what is your financial assistance / charity care policy, and am I eligible? Please send me the application and the income thresholds.
See SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR prices in another area
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What should 87635 cost in Colorado?

For SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR (CPT 87635) in Colorado, a fair self-pay price is around $71, with hospitals ranging from $45 to $147 across 39 facilities. Medicare's benchmark rate is $51, the floor to negotiate toward. The card above lists each hospital's price, cheapest first, with CMS quality stars.

Frequently asked questions

How much does SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR cost in Colorado?

A fair self-pay price for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR (CPT 87635) in Colorado is around $71, with hospital prices ranging from $45 to $147 across 39 facilities. These are estimates from hospital-published prices, not a guarantee.

What is the Medicare rate for CPT 87635?

Medicare pays about $51 for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR (CPT 87635). That's the negotiation floor — a fair cash-pay target is roughly 1.5–2× it, well below typical gross charges.

Can I negotiate the price of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR?

Yes. Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule hospitals must publish these rates, so you can ask to pay the cash or negotiated rate instead of the gross charge. Paste your bill on the home page for a ready-to-send appeal letter and the exact numbers to cite.

Got a bill for this?

If you were charged more than the fair price, you can usually negotiate it down. Paste your itemized bill to get a personalized appeal letter, the exact numbers to cite, an AI negotiation coach, and a charity-care eligibility check — free.

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Prices last refreshed September 2026 from each hospital's official CMS machine-readable file. Medicare rate: CY2025 OPPS/PFS/CLFS. Estimates only — not a guarantee.