PGH Laboratory Price List 2026: Service Rate vs Pay Rate, By Test

Quick Answer: Philippine General Hospital (PGH) prices its laboratory and diagnostic tests by patient class, not by a single fixed rate. A CBC costs ₱180 under the charity Service rate but ₱300 under the Outpatient-Pay rate. A plain CT scan of the brain runs ₱1,500 (Service) versus ₱3,100 (Outpatient-Pay). These figures come from the UP-PGH Citizen's Charter Handbook 2024 (5th Edition) — PGH has since posted a 6th edition (April 2026), so confirm current figures at the cashier.

About these figures: Official rates from the UP-PGH Citizen's Charter Handbook 2024 (5th Edition), pgh.gov.ph. PGH has since posted a 6th edition (April 2026) — confirm current figures at the cashier before your visit. Last checked: August 2026.

Table of Contents

• About PGH's laboratory and diagnostics
• How does PGH's pricing tier system work?
• How much do PGH lab tests cost?
• How much do PGH imaging tests cost?
• Who qualifies for the Service (charity) rate?
• Does the Malasakit Center help with lab costs?
• Does PhilHealth or HMO cover PGH lab tests?
• How to get tested at PGH
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

About PGH's laboratory and diagnostics

Philippine General Hospital, the University of the Philippines' teaching hospital in Manila, runs one of the busiest diagnostic and laboratory operations in the country. Because it's a government tertiary hospital with a charity mandate, PGH doesn't charge everyone the same price for the same test — what you pay depends on which patient class you're admitted or registered under.

That pricing structure is published in the hospital's Citizen's Charter, a government-mandated document that every national agency must post so the public can see official fees and processing steps. PGH's most recent published edition we could verify is the 2024 Handbook (5th Edition). PGH has since posted a 6th edition (April 2026), which may carry updated figures — the numbers in this guide are all from the 2024 charter, so treat them as the most recently verified rates rather than the absolute latest.

For PGH's broader rates — room and board, consultations, surgery — see our PGH rates and fees guide.

How does PGH's pricing tier system work?

PGH runs four pay tiers plus a Service (charity) rate: Service, Outpatient-Pay, Ward/Semi-Private, Private, and Suite. Each tier scales upward — the Service rate is the lowest, reserved for patients classified as indigent or financially incapacitated, and each pay tier above it adds a larger share of the hospital's actual cost of running the test.

This guide focuses on the two tiers most outpatients actually deal with: Service (the charity rate, for patients who qualify) and Outpatient-Pay (the standard rate for patients paying out of pocket without a charity classification). If you're admitted to a ward, semi-private, private, or suite bed instead, expect the room-tier rate to run higher still than Outpatient-Pay — confirm your specific tier's price with the cashier, since the charter lists all five side by side per test.

The takeaway: the same CBC, the same CT scan, the same MRI can carry two, three, or four different official prices at PGH depending purely on which class you're billed under, not on the test itself.

How much do PGH lab tests cost?

The table below shows Service and Outpatient-Pay rates for PGH's most commonly ordered blood and urine tests, per the 2024 Citizen's Charter.

A CBC is nearly twice the price under Outpatient-Pay versus Service — ₱300 versus ₱180 — while urinalysis barely moves (₱260 versus ₱240), since the gap between tiers isn't a flat percentage; it varies test by test. For general reference pricing at other providers, see our CBC test cost guide, urinalysis cost guide, and blood test cost guide.

How much do PGH imaging tests cost?

Imaging follows the same two-tier structure, and the gap between Service and Outpatient-Pay widens considerably for higher-cost scans like CT and MRI.

A whole-abdomen CT is the widest gap on this list: ₱2,600 under Service versus ₱7,900 under Outpatient-Pay — roughly three times as much. An MRI of the ankle is the narrowest proportional gap among the CT/MRI rows, at ₱4,305 versus ₱5,200.

The charter also lists a 2D echocardiogram (full study) at ₱2,015 under the Service rate, with a ward-tier rate of ₱3,850 — the charter doesn't break out a separate Outpatient-Pay figure for this test the way it does for the others above, so use the ward rate as your reference point if you're not classified as Service.

For broader reference pricing, see our guides to X-ray costs, CT scan costs, MRI costs, ultrasound costs, and 2D echo / ECG costs.

Who qualifies for the Service (charity) rate?

The Service rate isn't automatic — PGH's Medical Social Services department classifies patients based on income and financial capacity before the charity rate applies. If you believe you qualify, the practical step is to have your case assessed by Medical Social Services at the point of registration or admission, rather than assuming you'll be billed at the lowest tier by default.

Patients who don't go through this classification, or who don't qualify, are billed at Outpatient-Pay or the relevant room tier instead. Bring proof of income or lack of it (a certificate of indigency, barangay certification, or similar document) when you request classification, since the assessment is document-based.

Does the Malasakit Center help with lab costs?

PGH has a Malasakit Center on site, the government's one-stop shop for medical assistance that consolidates aid from PhilHealth, DOH's Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), PCSO, and DSWD under a single window instead of requiring patients to apply to each agency separately. For patients who don't qualify for the Service rate outright but still can't fully cover Outpatient-Pay charges, the Malasakit Center is the practical next step — bring your hospital bill and valid ID to the center's counter rather than trying to negotiate at the cashier directly.

For the fuller picture on PGH's overall billing and available assistance programs, our PGH rates and fees guide covers room rates, consultations, and surgery pricing alongside the lab figures above.

Does PhilHealth or HMO cover PGH lab tests?

For inpatients, PhilHealth's case-rate packages typically absorb laboratory and diagnostic costs incurred during the admission, so a ward patient billed under a covered case rate generally doesn't pay the lab prices above out of pocket on top of the case rate. For outpatient testing done on its own — walk-in lab work not tied to an admission — PhilHealth coverage is narrower and depends on whether the test falls under YAKAP, PhilHealth's primary-care benefit package that replaced Konsulta in July 2025. Check with your accredited primary care provider on what YAKAP actually covers before assuming a walk-in test is free. See our PhilHealth laboratory benefits guide for the general coverage rules.

HMOs are not the typical route at PGH, since it functions primarily as a government charity and Outpatient-Pay hospital rather than an HMO-accredited private facility — most patients here are either Service-classified, PhilHealth-covered, or paying Outpatient-Pay directly.

How to get tested at PGH

1. Determine your patient class first. If you may qualify for the Service rate, go through Medical Social Services for classification before your test, since this determines which price column above applies to you.
2. Bring a doctor's request for the specific tests needed — PGH's laboratory and diagnostic sections process tests against a physician's order, whether that's a PGH doctor or an outside referral.
3. Confirm the current price at registration, since the 2024 charter figures above may have shifted under PGH's newer 6th edition (April 2026).
4. Ask about the Malasakit Center if Outpatient-Pay pricing is still a strain — it consolidates PhilHealth, MAIFIP, PCSO, and DSWD assistance under one window.
5. Bring your PhilHealth ID or MDR if the test is tied to an admission, so case-rate coverage can be applied where eligible.

To find other diagnostic options nearby, use ClinicFinderPH's search to compare labs and clinics near you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a CBC cost at PGH?

₱180 under the Service (charity) rate, or ₱300 under the Outpatient-Pay rate, per the 2024 Citizen's Charter (5th Edition). PGH has since posted a 6th edition in April 2026, so confirm the current price at the cashier.

What's the difference between PGH's Service rate and Outpatient-Pay rate?

The Service rate is the charity tier, available to patients classified as indigent or financially incapacitated by PGH's Medical Social Services department. Outpatient-Pay is the standard rate for patients paying out of pocket without that classification. The same test can cost roughly 1.5 to 3 times more under Outpatient-Pay than under Service.

How much is a CT scan at PGH?

A plain CT scan of the brain costs ₱1,500 (Service) or ₱3,100 (Outpatient-Pay). A plain whole-abdomen CT costs ₱2,600 (Service) or ₱7,900 (Outpatient-Pay), per the 2024 Citizen's Charter.

Does PGH publish an updated price list beyond 2024?

Yes — PGH has posted a 6th edition of its Citizen's Charter Handbook in April 2026. This guide uses the verified figures from the 2024 5th Edition; confirm current prices with the PGH cashier since the 6th edition may carry updated numbers.

Who qualifies for PGH's Service (charity) rate?

Patients assessed and classified as indigent or financially incapacitated by PGH's Medical Social Services department. Classification is document-based — bring proof of income or a certificate of indigency when you request it.

Does PhilHealth cover lab tests at PGH?

For inpatients, PhilHealth case-rate packages generally absorb lab and diagnostic costs tied to the admission. For outpatient tests done on their own, coverage depends on whether the test falls under YAKAP, PhilHealth's primary-care benefit that replaced Konsulta in 2025.

Is there a Malasakit Center at PGH?

Yes. It consolidates assistance from PhilHealth, DOH's MAIFIP program, PCSO, and DSWD under one window for patients who need help covering hospital bills beyond the Service rate.

Conclusion

PGH's laboratory and imaging prices aren't a single number — they move with your patient class, from as low as ₱180 for a Service-rate CBC up to several thousand pesos for an Outpatient-Pay CT or MRI scan. The figures in this guide come from the verified 2024 Citizen's Charter (5th Edition); PGH's newer 6th edition (April 2026) may carry updated numbers, so confirm at the cashier before your visit. If you think you may qualify for the Service rate or need help with an Outpatient-Pay bill, start with Medical Social Services or the on-site Malasakit Center. For PGH's full rate structure beyond the lab, see our PGH rates and fees guide, and to compare diagnostic options elsewhere, use ClinicFinderPH.