Rapid strep test cost in Atlanta, GA — inpatient
In Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, 9 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually as an inpatient: from $76.00 to $201.00, with a median of $201.00. The lowest listed price is at Shepherd Center — $125.00 less than the median here. Across Georgia, the median is $169.00 at 24 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 5 cities for code 87880, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd Center lowest Northwest Atlanta, GA HC STREP A W DIR OPTIC OBV | $76.00 | $152.00 | $74.48–$129.20 | 50% | — source file |
| Emory Decatur Hospital Decatur, GA · (404) 501-1000 Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Hillandale Hospital Lithonia, GA · (404) 501-8040 Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Emory Johns Creek Hospital Johns Creek, GA · (678) 474-7000 Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Decatur Health Resource Decatur, GA Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Es Rehabilitation Atlanta, GA Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Crawford Long Hospital Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-2450 Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Josephs Hospital of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (678) 843-7001 Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Emory University Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-8500 Hc Strep A Assay W/Optic - Rapid Strep A Screen | $201.00 | $201.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $76.00, median $201.00, highest $201.00 — a 2.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $201.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 strep test checks a throat swab for group A strep bacteria, the cause of strep throat, and gives a result in minutes. It helps the clinician decide whether antibiotics are needed.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the rapid test only. The visit is billed separately, and a backup throat culture, if done, has its own charge.