How much does SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR cost in Houston, TX?
CPT 87635 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for Houston, TX.
| Facility | Type | Price | vs Medicare | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest (Houston) lowest | Hospital | $49cash | 1.0× | ★★★★★ |
| Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital (Houston) | Hospital | $51cash | 1.0× | — |
| Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital (Houston) | Hospital | $51cash | 1.0× | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center (Houston) | Hospital | $58cash | 1.1× | ★★★★★ |
| HCA Houston Healthcare West (Houston) | Hospital | $62cash | 1.2× | ★★★★★ |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake (Webster) | Hospital | $63cash | 1.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital (Sugar Land) | Hospital | $95cash | 1.9× | ★★★★★ |
| Houston Methodist Hospital (Houston) | Hospital | $95cash | 1.9× | ★★★★★ |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital (The Woodlands) | Hospital | $95cash | 1.9× | ★★★★★ |
| Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center (Houston) | Hospital | $121cash | 2.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center (The Woodlands) | Hospital | $121cash | 2.4× | — |
| Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center (Houston) | Hospital | $148cash | 2.9× | ★★★★★ |
| Texas Children's Hospital (Houston) gross charge | Hospital | $275cash | 5.4× | — |
| UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston) gross charge | Hospital | $370negotiated | 7.2× | — |
- For 87635 (SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR), Medicare's benchmark rate is $51.31. A fair self-pay target for this line is $95.00. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
- Your own published cash / self-pay price for 87635 is $95.00, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $56.35–$127.68. 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.
What should 87635 cost in Houston, TX?
For SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR (CPT 87635) in Houston, TX, a fair self-pay price is around $79, with hospitals ranging from $56 to $128 across 14 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 Houston, TX?
A fair self-pay price for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) PCR (CPT 87635) in Houston, TX is around $79, with hospital prices ranging from $56 to $128 across 14 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.
Compare other procedures in Houston, TX
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.