Lactic acid test cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 4 hospitals list a cash price for lactate (lactic acid) blood test: from $33.00 to $150.00, with a median of $34.75. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast and 1 other hospital — $1.75 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $88.00 at 38 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB LACTIC ACID CSF+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $33.00 | $66.00 | — | 50% |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB LACTIC ACID+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $33.00 | $66.00 | — | 50% |
| Kershaw Medical Center Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB LACTIC ACID CSF File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $36.50 | $73.00 | — | 50% |
| Kershaw Medical Center Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB LACTIC ACID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $131.50 | $263.00 | — | 50% |
| Lexington Medical Center West Columbia, SC · (803) 791-2000 Hc Lactic Acid File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $150.00 | $150.00 | — | — |
Outpatient: lowest $33.00, median $34.75, highest $150.00 — a 4.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $34.75. 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 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.