Rapid flu test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for rapid flu test (influenza antigen) as an inpatient: from $35.20 to $168.29, with a median of $73.33. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $38.13 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $75.40 at 72 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 87804, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and May 29, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Detection Test For Influenza Virus | $35.20 | $64.00 | $7.68–$86.40 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC DETECT AGENTIMMUNDIR OBSINFLUENZA - POCT INFLUENZA A | $71.25 | $95.00 | $26.60–$85.50 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC DETECT AGENTIMMUNDIR OBSINFLUENZA - POCT INFLUENZA A | $71.25 | $95.00 | $28.21–$71.25 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC DETECT AGENTIMMUNDIR OBSINFLUENZA - POCT INFLUENZA A | $71.25 | $95.00 | $14.25–$85.50 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC DETECT AGENTIMMUNDIR OBSINFLUENZA - POCT INFLUENZA A | $71.25 | $95.00 | $32.30–$93.10 | 25% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA | $75.40 | $145.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA IAADIADOO INFLUENZA | $75.40 | $145.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA | $75.40 | $145.00 | $12.00–$35.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Influenza A Or B Ag W/Optic | $112.50 | $150.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Influenza Virus A | $112.50 | $150.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Influenza Virus B | $112.50 | $150.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Flu A + B (BD Veritor) | $168.29 | $280.49 | $196.34–$218.50 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Uc-Influenza A&B Rapid Poct | $184.50 | $246.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $35.20, median $73.33, highest $168.29 — a 4.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $71.25 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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
A rapid flu test checks a nose or throat swab for influenza within minutes. The code is billed once for each flu type tested, so a test for A and B may be billed twice.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the swab and the test for one flu type; tests for A and B may be billed twice.