Lactic acid test cost in Charleston, SC
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, 8 hospitals list a cash price for lactate (lactic acid) blood test: from $36.50 to $265.00, with a median of $80.60. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Medical Center — $44.10 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $89.70 at 38 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 cities for code 83605, 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 Sep 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Medical Center lowest Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB LACTIC ACID ARTERIAL I STAT+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $36.50 | $73.00 | — | 50% |
| MUSC Medical Center Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB D-LACTATE P DLAC (SEND OUT) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $72.00 | $144.00 | — | 50% |
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC · (843) 724-2954 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $80.60 | $124.00 | — | 35% |
| Roper Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $80.60 | $124.00 | — | 35% |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $80.60 | $124.00 | — | 35% |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $80.60 | $124.00 | — | 35% |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $150.15 | $231.00 | — | 35% |
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC · (843) 724-2954 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $150.15 | $231.00 | — | 35% |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $150.15 | $231.00 | — | 35% |
| Roper Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $150.15 | $231.00 | — | 35% |
| MUSC Medical Center Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB LACTIC ACID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $155.00 | $310.00 | — | 50% |
| HCA Healthcare Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness Ladson, SC LACTIC ACID File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $265.00 | $265.00 | $43.20–$251.75 | — |
| HCA Healthcare Trident Hospital Moncks Corner, SC · (843) 847-4100 LACTIC ACID File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $265.00 | $265.00 | $43.20–$251.75 | — |
| HCA Healthcare Summerville Hospital Summerville, SC · (843) 847-4100 LACTIC ACID File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $265.00 | $265.00 | $43.20–$251.75 | — |
| HCA Healthcare Trident Hospital Moncks Corner, SC · (843) 847-4100 LACTIC ACID BODY FL File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $350.00 | $350.00 | $57.05–$332.50 | — |
| HCA Healthcare Live Oak Mental Health and Wellness Ladson, SC LACTIC ACID BODY FL File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $350.00 | $350.00 | $57.05–$332.50 | — |
| HCA Healthcare Summerville Hospital Summerville, SC · (843) 847-4100 LACTIC ACID BODY FL File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $350.00 | $350.00 | $57.05–$332.50 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $36.50, median $80.60, highest $265.00 — a 7.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $80.60. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 0 of 3 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 lactic acid test measures lactate in the blood. It is used mainly in the emergency department and hospital to look for sepsis, shock or poor blood flow to tissues.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.