Lung cancer screening CT cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 3 hospitals list a cash price for low-dose CT of the chest for lung cancer screening, no contrast dye: from $45.50 to $54.50, with a median of $54.50. The lowest listed price is at Kershaw Medical Center — $9.00 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $64.00 at 17 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 71271, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. 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 Columbia, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kershaw Medical Center lowest Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB LOW DOSE CT FOR LUNG CANCER SCREENING | $45.50 | $91.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast Columbia, SC HB LOW DOSE CT FOR LUNG CANCER SCREENING | $54.50 | $109.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB LOW DOSE CT FOR LUNG CANCER SCREENING | $54.50 | $109.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $45.50, median $54.50, highest $54.50 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $54.50. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
What it is
A low-dose CT for lung cancer screening uses a lower amount of radiation to look for early lung cancer in people without symptoms. It is offered to certain adults based on their age and smoking history, usually as a yearly scan.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the low-dose scan. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately, and a shared decision-making visit with a clinician is billed as its own service.