Lab tests CPT 87880 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Rapid strep test cost in Cincinnati, OH — inpatient

In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 10 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually as an inpatient: from $13.60 to $115.20, with a median of $73.20. The lowest listed price is at Fort Hamilton Hospital — $59.60 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $57.20 at 92 hospitals.

Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 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 Jul 1, 2026.

Lowest$13.60Fort Hamilton Hospital
Median$73.20half pay less
Highest$115.20in this market
Difference8.5×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.

median
Lowest $13.60Highest $115.20

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Fort Hamilton Hospital lowest Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Strep A Screen $13.60 $34.00 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
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Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Strep Screen $30.40 $76.00 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
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Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Chg Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A|By Midlevel $41.82 $82.00 $12.40–$78.19 49% —
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Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Chg Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A|By Specialist $41.82 $82.00 $16.53–$82.00 49% —
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Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Rapid Strep $56.61 $111.00 $53.28–$111.00 49% —
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The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A $73.20 $122.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A $73.20 $122.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A $73.20 $122.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A $73.20 $122.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A $73.20 $122.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A $73.20 $122.00 — 40% —
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West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Streptococcus Group A $115.20 $192.00 — 40% Jul 1, 2026
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University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Streptococcus Group A $115.20 $192.00 — 40% Jul 1, 2026
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Inpatient: lowest $13.60, median $73.20, highest $115.20 — a 8.5× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $50.83 — 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.