CEA test cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 4 hospitals list a cash price for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test: from $86.00 to $229.00, with a median of $120.75. The lowest listed price is at Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown and 1 other hospital — $34.75 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $148.50 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 82378, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 28, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB CARCINOEMBTYONIC ANTIGEN/CEA | $86.00 | $172.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB ACCUCEA - INTERPACE (SEND OUT) | $86.00 | $172.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB CARCINOEMBTYONIC ANTIGEN/CEA | $86.00 | $172.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB ACCUCEA - INTERPACE (SEND OUT) | $86.00 | $172.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kershaw Medical Center Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB CARCINOEMBTYONIC ANTIGEN/CEA | $155.50 | $311.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lexington Medical Center West Columbia, SC · (803) 791-2000 Hc Cea | $229.00 | $229.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $86.00, median $120.75, highest $229.00 — a 2.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $120.75. 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 CEA test measures a protein that can be high in colorectal and some other cancers. It is used to follow treatment and watch for recurrence, not to screen healthy people.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.