In the United States, a tuberculosis test runs $15–$100 for a skin test or $60–$150 for an IGRA blood test, before any insurance.
Price varies by test type, where you get tested, and whether a visit fee or lab draw is billed separately. Two screening options are common: the tuberculin skin test (TST/PPD) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus and T-SPOT.TB. Clinics and health departments post wide ranges, so it pays to check what the sticker price includes and what happens if you need documentation, repeat testing, or a chest X-ray.
TB Test Cost Breakdown: What Drives The Price
TST tends to be the lowest sticker price because it uses an in-office injection and a follow-up reading. IGRAs need a blood draw and lab analysis and often carry a higher lab fee. Some urgent care chains bundle placement, reading, and administrative paperwork. Others price the lab component apart from the visit. Public health clinics sometimes offer reduced fees for school, work, or immigration paperwork.
Typical Price Ranges You’ll See
Self-pay TST quotes often land between $20 and $100, while IGRA quotes cluster between $60 and $150 at retail clinics and direct-to-consumer lab portals. You may also spot outliers both below and above those ranges. A few county clinics publish fees near $15 for a TST. On the other end, some third-party sites list IGRA panels over $200 when routing to national labs with add-on service fees.
| Test Type | Typical Self-Pay Price (US) | What The Fee Usually Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuberculin Skin Test (TST/PPD) | $15–$100 | Placement + reading; visit fee may be bundled or separate |
| QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (IGRA) | $60–$150 | Blood draw + lab analysis; visit or phlebotomy fee may be added |
| T-SPOT.TB (IGRA) | $60–$150 | Blood draw + lab analysis; similar billing pattern to QuantiFERON |
What Each TB Test Involves
With a TST, a small amount of tuberculin goes under the skin of the forearm. You return in 48–72 hours for a reading by a trained clinician. The method is simple and low cost, which is why many employers still request it. IGRAs use a lab-processed blood sample to measure immune reaction to TB-specific antigens. The two IGRA brands used in the United States are QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus and T-SPOT.TB, as described by the CDC TB blood test page. IGRAs require only one visit and avoid placement-reading timing issues.
Line-Item Charges You Might See
Pricing often splits into three buckets: a clinic visit or nurse fee, the lab processing fee, and small add-ons such as a venipuncture charge, paperwork, or a duplicate copy of results. Many urgent care chains fold the visit fee into a flat price; others show it separately on the receipt. Direct-to-consumer lab sites sell the lab order and route you to a national draw site; the posted price usually includes the analysis but can add a collection fee during checkout. Public health clinics may post a single low price with limited appointment windows.
Real Prices Posted By Clinics And Labs
Here are examples from published fee pages. One urgent care group lists a TST at $75 and IGRA panels at $100 each, including the reading for TST and the lab pass-through for blood tests. Another chain posts a TST add-on at $39 for self-pay. A county health department advertises a TST fee of $15 for work or school testing. National lab storefronts selling QuantiFERON via online ordering commonly show prices between $90 and $150, with occasional membership or collection add-ons. These snapshots change with promotions and locality, but they frame the range you’ll run into.
Why A Medicare Benchmark Matters
Even if you’re paying cash, the Medicare clinical lab rate gives a useful anchor for the lab portion of an IGRA. The current fee schedule lists code 86480 (TB cell-immunity measurement) near the low-$60s, which reflects how large payers value the test itself. That lab amount doesn’t include clinic overhead or phlebotomy. You can review the schedule on the CMS Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule.
What You’ll Pay With And Without Insurance
Employer screenings, school programs, and immigration paperwork often fall outside preventive coverage rules, so plans handle these charges in different ways. Some plans treat TST as an office visit with a low lab cost; others treat IGRAs as a standalone lab bill subject to the deductible. Many retail clinics offer published self-pay rates that can beat out a high-deductible claim. If your plan has a contracted rate with a specific lab, sending the order there can drop the bill even when you haven’t met your deductible.
When A Two-Step TST Is Needed
New hires in certain settings are asked to complete two TSTs a week apart to rule out a false negative. Clinics often sell a two-step bundle at a small discount over two separate placements. If your employer only accepts a blood test, compare IGRA prices at clinics and online lab portals linked to national draw centers.
How Timing Affects Cost And Hassle
TST needs a return visit in 48–72 hours. Miss that window, and you’ll need to repeat the test and pay again. IGRAs skip the return visit, which can offset a higher lab fee when schedules are tight. If your program demands a same-day form, ask the clinic which test hits that timeline.
Cost Scenarios For Common Needs
The best price depends on your setting and paperwork. Use the scenarios below as a planning tool, then confirm the local sticker price and what’s included before you book.
| Setting | Typical Out-Of-Pocket | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Clinic | $15–$30 (TST) | Limited hours; low fee; ideal for school or basic employer forms |
| Urgent Care Chain | $39–$100 (TST) / $100–$150 (IGRA) | Broad hours; flat self-pay menus; paperwork included in many sites |
| Online Lab + National Draw Site | $85–$150 (IGRA) | One visit; price includes lab; small collection fee may appear at checkout |
Where These Numbers Come From
Fee pages and lab catalogs provide the clearest price signals. Examples include self-pay menus posting TST at $39–$75 and IGRA panels at $100, a county clinic listing TST at $15, and direct-order IGRA listings around $90–$150 with occasional add-on fees. A few commercial catalog sites list wider IGRA ranges that climb well above $200; those reflect bundled services or higher negotiated rates for convenience ordering. On the clinical side, the CDC describes both IGRA options and the skin test method; its TB testing pages offer neutral guidance on use and selection. The CMS lab schedule anchors the lab-only value for code 86480 near the low-$60s, separate from any clinic visit.
How To Pick The Right Option For Your Wallet
First, check what your form accepts. If either TST or IGRA is fine and you’re near a county clinic, the TST price can be hard to beat. If your schedule makes a return visit tough, look at IGRA. Next, scan nearby urgent care menus for flat self-pay deals. If you carry a high deductible, compare those menu prices to your plan’s contracted IGRA rate. The cheapest path often is a published self-pay deal at a clinic or a direct-order IGRA routed to a national lab, especially when you avoid a separate office visit fee.
Hidden Fees To Ask About Up Front
- Visit or nurse fee: Sometimes folded into the posted price, sometimes separate.
- Venipuncture fee: A small add-on at some labs for a blood draw.
- Form completion: Some clinics include it; others charge a small paperwork fee.
- Repeat testing: Missed TST reading or an unclear result can mean a new placement charge.
- Chest X-ray: Only needed if you have a positive result or specific program rules; priced separately.
Accuracy, Convenience, And When Each Test Makes Sense
Both screening routes detect TB infection, not active disease. TST is inexpensive and widely available. IGRAs avoid return visits and reduce false positives in people who received BCG vaccination. The CDC’s clinical page on the skin test lists “low cost” among advantages, while the blood test page outlines the two approved brands and single-visit appeal. If a program accepts both, pick based on price, timing, and how your clinic bills.
What To Expect After A Positive Screen
A positive screen does not diagnose active TB. Your clinician may order a chest X-ray and a symptom review. If active disease is ruled out, treatment for latent TB infection might be offered to cut future risk. Programs that require yearly screening often switch to IGRA after a baseline positive to avoid more needle sticks and repeat skin reactions.
Quick Ways To Save
- Use posted self-pay menus: Retail clinics often beat an unmet deductible.
- Ask for a bundle: Some sites include placement, reading, and documents in one price.
- Pick the one-visit path when time is tight: The extra lab fee for IGRA can pay off if a missed TST reading would force a redo.
- Check health department slots: Fees can be the lowest in town, with narrow hours.
- Confirm what your form needs: Ordering the wrong test wastes money and time.
Sample Out-Of-Pocket Tallies
Here are sample totals to map against your situation. Numbers assume common self-pay menus:
- School or camp form: TST at a county clinic: $15–$30 total.
- New job pre-placement: TST at urgent care with flat pricing: $39–$75 including reading.
- Healthcare worker: IGRA at retail lab portal: $90–$150 including lab processing; add $0–$20 if a collection fee applies.
- Two-step baseline: TST bundle at urgent care: often priced a bit below two separate TST charges.
Method Notes And Sources
Prices and ranges above reflect publicly posted menus from urgent care chains and direct-order lab portals, a county health department fee page for a low-cost TST, and a national lab schedule for the IGRA code benchmark. Clinical context comes from CDC pages describing TB blood testing and the tuberculin skin test. If you want to cross-check test types, the CDC’s blood test page lays out the two approved IGRA brands, and the clinical skin test page explains the hands-on method and return timing window. For a payer anchor, review the current clinical lab fee schedule where code 86480 appears near the low-$60s.
Bottom Line On TB Testing Prices
Plan on $15–$100 for a skin test or $60–$150 for a blood test at retail sites, with rare outliers above that range on premium portals and rare county clinic prices below it. The right pick depends on the form you must submit, how fast you need results, and whether a flat self-pay menu beats your insurance path this year.