Rapid strep test cost in Milwaukee, WI — inpatient
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 13 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually as an inpatient: from $42.50 to $83.74, with a median of $42.50. The lowest listed price is at Aurora Medical Center Grafton and 8 other hospitals. Across Wisconsin, the median is $45.58 at 68 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 cities for code 87880, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Nov 21, 2025.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Medical Center Grafton lowest Grafton, WI · (262) 329-1000 POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Washington County lowest Hartford, WI · (262) 673-2300 POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Kenosha lowest Kenosha, WI · (262) 948-5600 POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Psychiatric Hospital lowest Wauwatosa, WI · (414) 454-6600 POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Sinai Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro lowest Milwaukee, WI POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro lowest Milwaukee, WI · (414) 649-6000 POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes South Shore of Aurora Health Care Metro lowest Cudahy, WI POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Summit lowest Summit, WI · (262) 434-1600 POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora West Allis Medical Center lowest West Allis, WI · (414) 328-6000 POC STREP SCREEN | $42.50 | $85.00 | $51.00–$72.25 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee Mequon, WI HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - POC | $45.58 | $86.00 | $17.36–$54.71 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC - POC | $45.58 | $86.00 | $17.36–$54.71 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Glendale, WI STREPROCCUS GROUP A-SCRN | $59.89 | $113.00 | $16.03–$29.24 | 47% | — source file |
| Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute Mequon, WI HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC | $83.74 | $158.00 | $17.36–$54.71 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee Mequon, WI HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC | $83.74 | $158.00 | $17.36–$54.71 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC STREP A ASSAY W/OPTIC | $83.74 | $158.00 | $17.36–$54.71 | 47% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $42.50, median $42.50, highest $83.74 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $42.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 9 it is 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.