From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the cost of a routine scan or lab test can change a lot depending only on where you go. Here is what the numbers look like, and what it means for you.
That is the extra you would pay by choosing the most expensive option for a single scan. Put in everyday terms:
Take an imaging study of the abdomen with no contrast. Three centers in the same area. The same scan, held to the same medical standards. The prices are not close.
The same test, region by region. Each line runs from the lowest price to the highest in that part of South Carolina.
Each line below runs from the lowest price near you to the highest. The longer the line, the more there is to save by choosing carefully.
Hospitals and hospital-owned clinics usually charge more than independent outpatient centers for the same service. A big reason is a separate facility fee that outpatient centers often do not add. For routine scans and lab work, that fee buys you nothing extra.
The same test follows the same medical standards everywhere. A cheaper price does not mean a worse result.
You can ask what a test will cost before you book it, and you can choose where to go.
Ask whether the price is all-in, or whether a separate facility fee will be added on top.
With insurance, ask if the location is in-network. Paying cash, ask for the self-pay price.
Use the price finder to compare real providers for your scan or test, or just ask the assistant a question in plain language.
Open the price finder ›