Rapid flu test cost in Washington, DC
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 13 hospitals list a cash price for rapid flu test (influenza antigen): from $30.00 to $149.00, with a median of $100.18. The lowest listed price is at Mary Washington Hospital and 1 other hospital — $70.18 less than the median here. Across District of Columbia, the median is $83.89 at 2 hospitals.
- The median here, $100.18, is 66% above the US median of $60.40.
- That is 6.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($16.55).
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 12 cities for code 87804, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 30, 2024 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Washington Hospital lowest Fredericksburg, VA · (540) 741-1100 Influenza assay w/optic File of Dec 30, 2024 · source file | $30.00 | $60.00 | $11.00–$270.00 | 50% |
| Stafford Hospital lowest Stafford, VA · (540) 741-9000 Influenza assay w/optic File of Dec 30, 2024 · source file | $30.00 | $60.00 | $11.00–$270.00 | 50% |
| Frederick Health Hospital Frederick, MD · (240) 566-3300 INFLUENZA HINI TEST File of Mar 17, 2025 · source file | $50.07 | $51.09 | $50.07–$51.09 | 2% |
| MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Olney, MD · (301) 774-8882 INFLUENZA A-B. RAPID ID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $66.13 | $67.48 | $66.13–$67.48 | 2% |
| MedStar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC · (202) 877-7000 INFLUENZA A B. RAPID ID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $67.60 | $104.00 | $16.55–$125.44 | 35% |
| MedStar Southern Hospital Center Clinton, MD · (301) 868-8000 INFLUENZA A-B. RAPID ID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $71.86 | $73.33 | $71.86–$73.33 | 2% |
| MedStar Georgetown Hospital Northwest Washington, DC · (202) 784-3000 INFLUENZA A B. RAPID ID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $100.18 | $154.13 | $16.55–$138.72 | 35% |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC INFECT AG IA OPTC OBS INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $134.50 | $269.00 | $11.72–$209.82 | 50% |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC INFECT AG IA OPTC OBS INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $134.50 | $269.00 | $11.72–$209.82 | 50% |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC INFECT AG IA OPTC OBS INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $134.50 | $269.00 | $11.72–$209.82 | 50% |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC INFECT AG IA OPTC OBS INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $134.50 | $269.00 | $11.72–$209.82 | 50% |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC INFECT AG IA OPTC OBS INFLUENZA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $134.50 | $269.00 | $11.72–$209.82 | 50% |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl Influenzae Rapid Screen B+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $149.00 | $298.00 | — | 50% |
Outpatient: lowest $30.00, median $100.18, highest $149.00 — a 5.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $134.50. 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 12 of 12 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.