Rapid strep test cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 10 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually as an inpatient: from $17.50 to $144.72, with a median of $58.64. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis — $41.14 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $53.30 at 31 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 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 Mar 16, 2026 and Jun 12, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis lowest Chesterfield, MO RAPID STREP | $17.50 | $17.50 | $17.50 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 Streptococcus Group A AG, w/ Reflex to Culture | $23.12 | $28.89 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 STREP A ASSAY W-OPTI | $24.75 | $41.25 | $41.25 | 40% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC OPTICAL STREP | $56.88 | $79.00 | $7.41–$79.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South Louis, MO STREP A SCREEN (EIA) | $57.28 | $57.28 | $57.28 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South Louis, MO RAPID STREP | $57.28 | $57.28 | $57.28 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO POC Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities Washington, MO Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$68.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities Washington, MO POC Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$68.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities Washington, MO Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$68.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO POC Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO POC Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO POC Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO POC Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Rapid Strep Dir Optical Observ | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Elsberry, MO Iaadiadoo Streptococcus Group A | $60.00 | $80.00 | $40.00–$72.00 | 25% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis Chesterfield, MO STREP A SCREEN (EIA) | $95.48 | $95.48 | $95.48 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC OPTICAL STREP | $105.12 | $146.00 | $7.41–$146.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC OPTICAL STREP | $105.12 | $146.00 | $7.78–$146.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 Streptococcus, Group A Culture | $129.96 | $162.45 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC OPTICAL STREP | $144.72 | $201.00 | $17.24–$201.00 | 28% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $17.50, median $58.64, highest $144.72 — a 8.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $58.44 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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.