COVID-19 PCR test cost in Montana

Prices at 20 hospitals in Montana, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $131 — 31% above the US median ($100), roughly 2.5× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Clark Fork Valley Hospital Plains, MT $48 $127 — 148 min —
Fallon Medical Complex Hospital Baker, MT $76 $76 — 102 min —
Benefis Hospitals Inc Great Falls, MT $94 $149 ★ 2/5 186 min —
Missouri River Medical Center Fort Benton, MT $94 $149 — 106 min —
Benefis Teton Medical Center Choteau, MT $94 $146 — 94 min —
Billings Clinic Billings, MT $121 — ★ 4/5 176 min —
Billings Clinic Broadwater Townsend, MT $121 — — 76 min —
Poplar Community Hospital Poplar, MT $121 $153 — 89 min —
Big Sandy Medical Center Big Sandy, MT $126 $155 — 77 min —
St Peters Health Helena, MT $129 $136 ★ 3/5 179 min —
Sidney Health Center Sidney, MT $132 $202 ★ 3/5 152 min —
Deer Lodge Medical Center Deer Lodge, MT $133 $140 — 122 min —
Rosebud Health Care Center Forsyth, MT $146 $135 — 97 min —
Roosevelt Medical Center Culbertson, MT $156 $168 — 100 min —
Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association Inc Ekalaka, MT $158 $163 — 129 min —
Great Falls Clinic Hospital Great Falls, MT $158 $74 ★ 2/5 140 min —
St Luke Community Hospital Ronan, MT $160 $193 — 109 min —
Big Horn Hospital Hardin, MT $234 $256 — 140 min —
Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital Bozeman, MT $235 $55 ★ 4/5 142 min —
Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center Big Sky, MT $235 $55 — 107 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 October 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
$131
Insurer-negotiated
$147
Medicare pays
$51
$92$234
Median cash $131  ·  Medicare $51  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $131 — about 2.5× 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 $27 (17%).

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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 →