Rapid flu test cost in California

In California, 145 hospitals publish a cash price for rapid flu test (influenza antigen): from $8.19 to $818.13, with a median of $75.40. The lowest price is at Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage). The highest price is 99.9× the lowest.

• The median here, $75.40, is 25% above the US median of $60.40.
• That is 4.6× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($16.55).
• California ranks 39th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 31 of 145 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 87804. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 4, 2026. See them on a map