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 match the Schedule of Fees in the UP-PGH Citizen's Charter 2026 (6th Edition, file dated April 30, 2026) and PGH's online Rates and Fees page. PGH's own charter treats the Service rate as the charity rate and the other columns as pay rates.

About these figures: Official rates from the Schedule of Fees in the UP-PGH Citizen's Charter 2026 (6th Edition, file dated April 30, 2026), checked against PGH's online Rates and Fees page (pgh.gov.ph/rates-and-fees) in October 2026. The two sources match for every figure in this guide except the chest X-ray, which we left out (see the imaging section). Confirm current figures at the cashier before your visit. Last checked: October 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 current edition is the Citizen's Charter 2026 (6th Edition), whose Schedule of Fees (file dated April 30, 2026) lists every rate in this guide, and PGH's website carries the same rates on its Rates and Fees page. Earlier editions, including the 2024 handbook (5th Edition), are no longer the current ones.

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's Schedule of Fees has a Service rate column and four pay rate columns: Outpatient-Pay, Ward/Semi-Private, Private, and Suite/Deluxe. In PGH's own charter, the Service rate is the charity rate: its sleep laboratory fee tables put the Service amount under a "Charity" heading, and its laboratory charter lists a White Card, issued by Medical Social Service (MSS) for indigent patients of PGH, among the requirements for charity outpatient lab work. The pay rates are what patients who pay are charged: outpatients pay the Outpatient-Pay rate, and admitted pay patients pay the rate for their room tier.

This guide focuses on the two columns most outpatients deal with: Service (the charity rate, for patients PGH classifies as indigent) and Outpatient-Pay (the rate for outpatients paying out of pocket). If you're admitted to a ward, semi-private, private, or suite bed instead, the charter lists a separate price for each tier, so confirm yours with the cashier. In PGH's own laboratory charter, outpay patients pay on the same day before the test, while charity patients present a Blue Card with a letter from their doctor.

Not every hospital uses "service rate" the same way. WVSU Medical Center's rate sheet defines its Service Rate as 20% less than its Regular Rate, so the label means PGH's charity rate only at PGH.

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 2026 Citizen's Charter (6th Edition).

A CBC costs about 1.7 times as much under Outpatient-Pay as under Service (₱300 versus ₱180, our arithmetic), while urinalysis barely moves (₱260 versus ₱240), since the gap between tiers isn't a flat percentage; it varies test by test. PGH's Medical Research Laboratory lists its own, lower urinalysis at ₱100 (Service) and ₱200 (Outpatient-Pay), and a CBC with platelet count and RBC indices at ₱240 and ₱340. 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. Single-organ ultrasound prices vary by organ (for example, ₱275 for the liver and ₱315 for the gallbladder under Service), so check the organ you need.

PGH's chest X-ray rates differ between its two official sources. The online Rates and Fees page lists ₱165 (Service) and ₱315 (Outpatient-Pay) for a chest PA view, while the 2026 Citizen's Charter lists ₱245 and ₱470, so we left the chest X-ray out of the table. Confirm the current price at the cashier.

The charter also lists transthoracic echocardiography (full study) at ₱1,680 under the Service rate and ₱3,150 at the Ward/Semi-Private rate, with no Outpatient-Pay figure. Its inpatient-only bedside full study lists ₱2,015 (Service) and ₱3,850 (Ward/Semi-Private). 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 Citizen's Charter has patients referred to Medical Social Services (MSS) for classification, and MSS issues a White Card for indigent patients. If you believe you qualify, ask for an assessment by Medical Social Services at 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. Ask MSS which documents it needs when you request classification.

Does the Malasakit Center help with lab costs?

PGH has a Malasakit Center on site, as required by the Malasakit Centers Act (RA 11463), which sets up a one-stop shop for medical and financial assistance in all DOH hospitals and in PGH. Each center has representatives from the DOH, DSWD, PCSO and PhilHealth, so patients don't have 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. Ask the center what documents to bring 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 generally cover 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. Ask the billing section how it applies to you. For outpatient testing done on its own, PhilHealth coverage is narrower and depends on whether the test falls under YAKAP, PhilHealth's primary-care benefit, which PhilHealth describes as the expanded Konsulta. Konsulta's benefit table (Circular 2024-0013, Annex B) lists CBC, lipid profile, FBS and urinalysis among the select tests a primary care team can order as needed, for members registered with the clinic. 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.

PGH's Department of Pay Patient Services lists a Letter of Authorization (LOA) from an accredited HMO among its admission requirements for pay patients, so ask your HMO and PGH billing whether your plan is accepted.

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 published rates can change.
4. Ask about the Malasakit Center if Outpatient-Pay pricing is still a strain — it brings the DOH, DSWD, PCSO and PhilHealth 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 Schedule of Fees in the 2026 Citizen's Charter (6th Edition). 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 through PGH's Medical Social Services department, which issues a White Card. Outpatient-Pay is the rate for outpatients paying out of pocket without that classification. The same test can cost from about 1.1 to 3 times more under Outpatient-Pay than under Service (urinalysis ₱240 versus ₱260, whole-abdomen CT ₱2,600 versus ₱7,900).

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 2026 Citizen's Charter.

Where does PGH publish its current price list?

On its Rates and Fees page (pgh.gov.ph/rates-and-fees) and in the Schedule of Fees of its Citizen's Charter 2026 (6th Edition, file dated April 30, 2026). The lab, ultrasound, CT and MRI figures in this guide match both. Confirm current prices with the PGH cashier.

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

Patients assessed and classified as indigent by PGH's Medical Social Services department, which issues a White Card. Ask MSS which documents it needs when you request classification.

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 PhilHealth describes as the expanded Konsulta.

Is there a Malasakit Center at PGH?

Yes. Under the Malasakit Centers Act (RA 11463), PGH's Malasakit Center brings the DOH, DSWD, PCSO and PhilHealth 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 ₱60 for a Service-rate blood sugar test (₱180 for a Service-rate CBC) up to several thousand pesos for an Outpatient-Pay CT or MRI scan. The figures in this guide match the Schedule of Fees in PGH's Citizen's Charter 2026 (6th Edition); 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.