Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Columbia, SC — inpatient
In Columbia, SC, 4 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $144.00 to $290.00, with a median of $171.00. The lowest listed price is at Kershaw Medical Center — $27.00 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $123.54 at 38 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kershaw Medical Center lowest Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB CULTURE BHS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $144.00 | $288.00 | — | 50% |
| Kershaw Medical Center Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB CULTURE CSF+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $149.00 | $298.00 | — | 50% |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB CULTURE BHS+7 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $171.00 | $342.00 | — | 50% |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB CULTURE BACTERIAL (ROUTINE)+7 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $171.00 | $342.00 | — | 50% |
| Kershaw Medical Center Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB CULTURE BTA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $221.50 | $443.00 | — | 50% |
| Lexington Medical Center West Columbia, SC · (803) 791-2000 Hc Aerobic Culture File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $290.00 | $290.00 | — | — |
Inpatient: lowest $144.00, median $171.00, highest $290.00 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $171.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
What it is
A bacterial culture grows bacteria from a sample such as a wound, throat swab, eye or fluid to find which germ causes an infection. It takes one to three days.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test; collecting the sample may be billed separately.