Rapid strep test cost in Columbia, MO
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually: from $36.60 to $72.90, with a median of $54.75. The lowest listed price is at Boone Hospital Center — $18.15 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $53.30 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 87880, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Hospital Center lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 STREP A DIRECT OPTICAL | $36.60 | $61.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 POCT GROUP A RAPID STREP P28625043 | $72.90 | $121.50 | $33.05–$106.92 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A RAPID SOFIA FIA P28625955 | $72.90 | $121.50 | $33.05–$106.92 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A RAPID SOFIA FIA POC P28625956 | $72.90 | $121.50 | $33.05–$106.92 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A RAPID SOFIA FIA POC P31025956 | $72.90 | $121.50 | $33.05–$106.92 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $36.60, median $54.75, highest $72.90 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $54.75. 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 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.