COVID-19 PCR test cost in Montana

Prices at 19 hospitals in Montana, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $132 — 34% above the US median ($98), roughly 2.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Clark Fork Valley Hospital Plains, MT $48 $127 153 min 14.7%
Fallon Medical Complex Hospital Baker, MT $76 $76 92 min 15.2%
Benefis Hospitals Inc Great Falls, MT $94 $149 ★ 2/5 190 min 14.0%
Missouri River Medical Center Fort Benton, MT $94 $149 107 min
Benefis Teton Medical Center Choteau, MT $94 $146 92 min
Billings Clinic Billings, MT $121 ★ 4/5 172 min 14.2%
Billings Clinic Broadwater Townsend, MT $121 81 min
Big Sandy Medical Center Big Sandy, MT $126 $155 72 min
St Peters Health Helena, MT $129 $136 ★ 3/5 178 min 14.3%
Sidney Health Center Sidney, MT $132 $202 ★ 3/5 152 min 14.7%
Deer Lodge Medical Center Deer Lodge, MT $133 $140 118 min 15.3%
Rosebud Health Care Center Forsyth, MT $146 $135 105 min
Roosevelt Medical Center Culbertson, MT $156 $168 94 min
Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association Inc Ekalaka, MT $158 $163 121 min 14.6%
Great Falls Clinic Hospital Great Falls, MT $158 $74 ★ 2/5 136 min 15.0%
St Luke Community Hospital Ronan, MT $160 $193 110 min 15.1%
Big Horn Hospital Hardin, MT $234 $256 140 min
Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital Bozeman, MT $235 $55 ★ 4/5 142 min 14.4%
Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center Big Sky, MT $235 $55 106 min

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$157
Cash / self-pay
$132
Insurer-negotiated
$146
Medicare pays
$51
$91$235
Median cash $132  ·  Medicare $51  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $132 — about 2.6× the Medicare rate ($51). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($103).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $157 list price could save about $25 (16%).

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

COVID-19 PCR test cost in other states

All COVID-19 PCR test prices (national) → · All hospitals in Montana →