COVID-19 PCR test cost in New Orleans, LA

Prices at 6 hospitals in New Orleans, LA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $43 — 56% below the US median ($98), roughly 0.8× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA $28 $51 137 min 14.9%
Ochsner Medical Center Acute New Orleans, LA $41 $77 ★ 4/5 168 min 16.2%
Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA $43 $51
University Medical Center New Orleans New Orleans, LA $61 $51 ★ 2/5 353 min 15.5%
St Charles Surgical Hospital New Orleans, LA $87 14.9%

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)
$179
Cash / self-pay
$43
Insurer-negotiated
$51
Medicare pays
$51
$33$76
Median cash $43  ·  Medicare $51  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $43 — about 0.8× the Medicare rate ($51). Reasonable. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($103).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $179 list price could save about $136 (76%).

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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.

All COVID-19 PCR test prices in Louisiana → · All COVID-19 PCR test prices (national) · All hospitals in New Orleans