Rapid drug screen cost in Houston, TX
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 11 hospitals list a cash price for Rapid drug screen read by eye (cup, dipstick or card), per day: from $12.35 to $455.00, with a median of $455.00. The lowest listed price is at Hsa St. Joseph LLC — $442.65 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $118.80 at 69 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 7 cities for code 80305, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hsa St. Joseph LLC lowest Houston, TX DRUG TEST PRSMV DIR OPT OBS | $12.35 | $42.43 | $3.85–$42.43 | 71% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC DRUG OF ABUSE - SCREEN IN HOUSE | $160.13 | $239.00 | $12.60–$227.05 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC DRUG OF ABUSE - SCREEN IN HOUSE | $160.13 | $239.00 | $12.60–$227.05 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC DRUG OF ABUSE - SCREEN IN HOUSE | $160.13 | $239.00 | $12.60–$227.05 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $233.00 | $466.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX HC DRUGS OF ABUSE PANEL PLUS TCA | $455.00 | $910.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $12.35, median $455.00, highest $455.00 — a 36.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $455.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This code covers a quick drug screen, such as a urine cup, dipstick or card, where the result is read by eye. It gives presumptive results for classes of drugs and is used in clinics, emergency departments and for some employment testing.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the screen for all drug classes on the device, billed once per day. Confirmation testing of a positive result and any formal chain-of-custody collection are billed separately.