The Department of Health (DOH) has set a price cap for the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Based on Department Circular No. 2021-0374, it stated that the new price cap will be effective on Sept. 6, 2021.
“Pursuant to the foregoing, the following price caps for public and private health facilities including the price cap for home service are hereby issued for RT-PCR Plate-based and Cartridge-based testing,” it stated.
For public facilities, the price cap for plate-based testing is at P2,800 while for cartridge-based (GeneExpert) is at P2,450.
For private facilities, the price-limit for plate-based testing is P3,360 and P2,940 for cartridge-based “with 20 percent allowable markup.”
For home service, the price cap is at P1,000 for both plate-based and cartridge-based testing.
In November 2020, the government set a price range for RT-PCR testing for COVID-19. Private laboratories can charge a patient from P4,500 to P5,000 per test, while public facilities can only charge P3,800.