Rapid strep test cost in San Francisco, CA — inpatient
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for rapid strep A antigen test from a throat swab, read visually as an inpatient: from $17.20 to $171.36, with a median of $171.36. The lowest listed price is at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley — $154.16 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $110.76 at 84 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley lowest Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 Rapid Strep a Test | $17.20 | $43.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 IAADIADOO STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A | $171.36 | $306.00 | $16.00–$50.00 | 44% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $17.20, median $171.36, highest $171.36 — a 10.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $171.36 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 0 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 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.