PT evaluation, low complexity cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 3 hospitals list a cash price for physical therapy evaluation, low complexity (typically about 20 minutes): from $161.50 to $166.50, with a median of $166.50. The lowest listed price is at Kershaw Medical Center — $5.00 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $166.50 at 17 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 97161, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kershaw Medical Center lowest Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB PT EVAL LOW COMPLEX 20 MIN | $161.50 | $323.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast Columbia, SC HB PT EVAL LOW COMPLEX 20 MIN | $166.50 | $333.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB PT EVAL LOW COMPLEX 20 MIN | $166.50 | $333.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $161.50, median $166.50, highest $166.50.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $166.50. 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
This is a first physical therapy evaluation of low complexity, typically about 20 minutes face to face. It is used for a stable problem with few other health factors, and ends with a plan of care.
What the price covers
The price covers the evaluation, billed once per evaluation rather than in time units. Treatment on the same day, such as therapeutic exercise or manual therapy, is billed separately in 15-minute units.