C. diff test cost in Charlotte, NC
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, 16 hospitals list a cash price for C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR): from $150.50 to $573.00, with a median of $375.70. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Lancaster Medical Center — $225.20 less than the median here. Across North Carolina, the median is $165.76 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 16 facilities across 13 cities for code 87493, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center lowest Lancaster, SC · (803) 286-1481 HB C DIFF PCR | $150.50 | $301.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 C Difficile Toxin Ampl Probe | $193.05 | $715.00 | $77.76–$246.68 | 73% | — source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 C Difficile Toxin Ampl Probe | $193.05 | $715.00 | $77.76–$246.68 | 73% | — source file |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital Mooresville, NC · (704) 660-4000 HC C DIFFICILE TOXIN AMPL PROBE | $193.05 | $715.00 | $37.27–$464.75 | 73% | — source file |
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center Chester, SC · (803) 581-3151 HB C DIFF PCR | $199.00 | $398.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Gastonia, NC CHG CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE AMP PROBE | $309.00 | $309.00 | $22.36–$293.55 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC CHG CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE AMP PROBE | $309.00 | $309.00 | $22.36–$293.55 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC CHG CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE AMP PROBE | $309.00 | $309.00 | $22.36–$293.55 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$676.26 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $142.77–$751.40 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte, NC HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$691.29 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Belmont, NC HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$691.29 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro, NC · (704) 694-5131 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$713.83 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast Concord, NC · (704) 783-3000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$713.83 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton, NC · (980) 212-2000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$713.83 | 50% | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Union Monroe, NC · (704) 283-3100 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$713.83 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$691.29 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte, NC · (704) 379-5000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$728.86 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$676.26 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte, NC · (704) 355-2000 HC AMP PROBE CLOSTRIDIUM | $375.70 | $751.40 | $38.02–$691.29 | 50% | Dec 4, 2025 source file |
| Amisub of South Carolina Rock Hill, SC C DIFF TOXIN AMP PROBE | $573.00 | $764.00 | $1.00–$764.00 | 25% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Amisub of South Carolina Fort Mill, SC C DIFF TOXIN AMP PROBE | $573.00 | $764.00 | $1.00–$764.00 | 25% | Apr 15, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $150.50, median $375.70, highest $573.00 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $375.70. 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 11 of 14 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
This stool test looks for the toxin gene of Clostridioides difficile, a cause of severe diarrhea, often after antibiotics or a hospital stay.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the stool test; the collection kit is often included.