Rapid flu test cost in San Francisco, CA
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for rapid flu test (influenza antigen): from $156.00 to $170.24, with a median of $170.24. The lowest listed price is at Mills Health Center and 1 other hospital — $14.24 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $75.40 at 145 hospitals.
- The median here, $170.24, is 182% above the US median of $60.40.
- That is 10.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($16.55).
- San Francisco, CA ranks 5th of 5 metro areas in California by median, cheapest first.
- 2 of 12 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 12 cities for code 87804, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mills Health Center lowest San Mateo, CA · (650) 696-5400 HCHG INFLUENZA ASSAY W/ DIRECT OPTICAL OBSERVATION File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $156.00 | $156.00 | — | — |
| Mills-Peninsula Medical Center lowest Burlingame, CA · (650) 696-5400 HCHG INFLUENZA ASSAY W/ DIRECT OPTICAL OBSERVATION File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $156.00 | $156.00 | — | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Fnd Hospital - Richmond Campus Richmond, CA · (510) 752-1000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 IAADIADOO INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.24 | $304.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% |
Outpatient: lowest $156.00, median $170.24, highest $170.24 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $170.24. 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 0 of 10 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 rapid flu test is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Rapid flu test explained.