Rapid strep test cost in Nashville, TN — inpatient
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, 4 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually as an inpatient: from $26.79 to $52.92, with a median of $33.40. The lowest listed price is at Saint Thomas West Hospital — $6.61 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $34.50 at 40 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 87880, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 1, 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Thomas West Hospital lowest Harding Pk Nashville, TN · (615) 222-2111 POC LAB STREP A | $26.79 | $89.30 | $14.88–$51.92 | 70% | — source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $28.42 | $98.00 | $9.73–$98.00 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 HC IMMUNO OPTICAL STREP A | $29.58 | $102.00 | $15.66–$81.60 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 RAPID STREP | $38.37 | $127.90 | $14.88–$51.92 | 70% | — source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $52.92 | $98.00 | $9.73–$98.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 HC IMMUNO OPTICAL STREP A | $55.08 | $102.00 | $6.30–$81.60 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $26.79, median $33.40, highest $52.92 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $33.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 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.