Rapid strep test cost in Philadelphia, PA — inpatient
In Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, 8 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually as an inpatient: from $37.05 to $91.65, with a median of $37.29. The lowest listed price is at St. Francis Hospital — $0.24 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $60.60 at 47 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 8 cities for code 87880, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 24, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Francis Hospital lowest Wilmington, DE · (302) 421-4100 HC Infectious Agent Antigen Immunoassay Direct Optical Observation Streptococcus A | $37.05 | $57.00 | $16.20–$163.12 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill Mullica Hill, NJ STREP A TEST | $37.29 | $37.29 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Elmer Elmer, NJ · (856) 363-1000 STREP A TEST | $37.29 | $37.29 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Health Center Woodbury Woodbury, NJ STREP A TEST | $37.29 | $37.29 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mannington Salem, NJ STREP A TEST | $37.29 | $37.29 | — | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, PA · (215) 335-6000 HC Infectious Agent Antigen Immunoassay Direct Optical Observation Streptococcus A | $91.65 | $141.00 | $9.14–$473.55 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA · (215) 750-2003 HC Infectious Agent Antigen Immunoassay Direct Optical Observation Streptococcus A | $91.65 | $141.00 | $7.25–$133.95 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Darby, PA · (215) 237-4000 HC Infectious Agent Antigen Immunoassay Direct Optical Observation Streptococcus A | $91.65 | $141.00 | $8.51–$153.97 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $37.05, median $37.29, highest $91.65 — a 2.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $37.29 — 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.