Rapid strep test cost in Louisville, KY
In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, 6 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually: from $19.80 to $143.36, with a median of $134.08. The lowest listed price is at Harrison County Hospital — $114.28 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $143.36 at 15 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 87880, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 11, 2026 and Sep 18, 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison County Hospital lowest Corydon, IN · (812) 738-4251 Detection test by immunoassay with direct visual observation for Streptococcus, group A (strep) | $19.80 | $33.00 | $5.36–$29.70 | 40% | Jul 16, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB STREP SCREEN BETA DIRECT | $44.40 | $222.00 | $16.53–$184.26 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB STREP SCREEN BETA DIRECT | $44.40 | $222.00 | $16.53–$188.70 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB STREP SCREEN BETA DIRECT | $44.40 | $222.00 | $16.53–$184.26 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB STREP SCREEN BETA DIRECT | $44.40 | $222.00 | $16.53–$184.26 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB STREP SCREEN BETA DIRECT | $44.40 | $222.00 | $16.53–$184.26 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB STREP SCREEN BETA DIRECT | $44.40 | $222.00 | $16.53–$184.26 | 80% | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital Salem, IN · (812) 883-5881 INFECTAGNT IMMUN DIROBS;STREPO | $124.80 | $208.00 | $15.83–$37.69 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital Salem, IN · (812) 883-5881 INFECTAGNT IMMUN DIROBS;STREPO | $124.80 | $208.00 | $15.83–$37.69 | 40% | — source file |
| Baptist Health Floyd New Albany, IN · (812) 944-7701 Detection test by immunoassay with direct visual observation for Streptococcus, group A (strep) | $143.36 | $191.14 | $9.73–$286.71 | 25% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health LaGrange La Grange, KY · (502) 222-5388 Detection test by immunoassay with direct visual observation for Streptococcus, group A (strep) | $143.36 | $191.14 | $9.73–$382.28 | 25% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Louisville Louisville, KY · (502) 897-8100 Detection test by immunoassay with direct visual observation for Streptococcus, group A (strep) | $143.36 | $191.14 | $9.73–$382.28 | 25% | Sep 18, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $19.80, median $134.08, highest $143.36 — a 7.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $84.60. 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 5 of 6 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 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.