Lactic acid test cost in Charlotte, NC — inpatient
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, 19 hospitals list a cash price for lactate (lactic acid) blood test as an inpatient: from $96.53 to $645.00, with a median of $96.53. The lowest listed price is at Carolinas Medical Center and 10 other hospitals. Across North Carolina, the median is $87.36 at 67 hospitals.
Cash prices at 19 facilities across 13 cities for code 83605, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 28, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 1, 2025 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolinas Medical Center lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID+1 more line at this price File of Dec 4, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $58.49–$173.75 | 50% |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation lowest Charlotte, NC HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 5, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $64.67–$177.61 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Anson lowest Wadesboro, NC · (704) 694-5131 HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $58.49–$183.40 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Behavioral Health lowest Charlotte, NC HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 4, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $59.85–$169.88 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Lincoln lowest Lincolnton, NC · (980) 212-2000 HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $55.35–$183.40 | 50% |
| Atrium Health University City lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 548-6000 HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 5, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $58.49–$177.61 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Pineville lowest Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 5, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $58.49–$177.61 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Union lowest Monroe, NC · (704) 283-3100 HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 4, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $58.49–$183.40 | 50% |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast lowest Concord, NC · (704) 783-3000 HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $58.49–$183.40 | 50% |
| Atrium Health Mercy, a facility of Carolinas Medical Center lowest Charlotte, NC HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 4, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $58.49–$177.61 | 50% |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation lowest Belmont, NC HC ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Dec 5, 2025 · source file | $96.53 | $193.05 | $64.67–$177.61 | 50% |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 Lactic Acid (Lactate)+1 more line at this price source file | $99.09 | $367.00 | $24.14–$126.62 | 73% |
| Piedmont Medical Center Rock Hill, SC · (803) 329-1234 LACTATE(LACTIC ACID)/2 File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $117.75 | $157.00 | $1.00–$157.00 | 25% |
| Piedmont Medical Center Fort Mill, SC · (803) 329-1234 LACTATE(LACTIC ACID)/2 File of Apr 15, 2026 · source file | $117.75 | $157.00 | $1.00–$157.00 | 25% |
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center Chester, SC · (803) 581-3151 HB LACTIC ACID ARTERIAL I STAT+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $154.00 | $308.00 | — | 50% |
| CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Gastonia Gastonia, NC · (704) 834-4891 CHG LACTIC ACID File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $191.00 | $191.00 | $151.27–$181.45 | — |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC · (704) 834-4891 CHG LACTIC ACID File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $191.00 | $191.00 | — | — |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC · (704) 834-4891 CHG LACTIC ACID File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $191.00 | $191.00 | $151.27–$181.45 | — |
| CaroMont Regional Medical Center - Gastonia one side Gastonia, NC · (704) 834-4891 CHG RT WBLD LACTIC ACID File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $193.00 | $193.00 | $152.86–$183.35 | — |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital one side Mount Holly, NC · (704) 834-4891 CHG RT WBLD LACTIC ACID File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $193.00 | $193.00 | — | — |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital one side Belmont, NC · (704) 834-4891 CHG RT WBLD LACTIC ACID File of May 11, 2026 · source file | $193.00 | $193.00 | $152.86–$183.35 | — |
| Piedmont Medical Center Rock Hill, SC · (803) 329-1234 LACTATE(LACTIC ACID) File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $330.00 | $440.00 | $1.00–$440.00 | 25% |
| Piedmont Medical Center Fort Mill, SC · (803) 329-1234 LACTATE(LACTIC ACID) File of Apr 15, 2026 · source file | $330.00 | $440.00 | $1.00–$440.00 | 25% |
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, SC · (803) 286-1481 HB LACTIC ACID CSF+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $645.00 | $1,290.00 | — | 50% |
Inpatient: lowest $96.53, median $96.53, highest $645.00 — a 6.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 20 facilities here, median $96.53 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 14 of 16 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.