Level 1 ER visit cost in Charleston, SC — inpatient
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, 5 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 1 of 5, minor problem that may not need a doctor as an inpatient: from $315.00 to $429.00, with a median of $429.00. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Medical Center — $114.00 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $284.00 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 99281, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Medical Center lowest Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB ER VISIT BRIEF | $315.00 | $630.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC OB ER Level 1 | $429.00 | $660.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC ER Level 1 | $429.00 | $660.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC ER Level 1 | $429.00 | $660.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC HC ER Level 1 | $429.00 | $660.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC ER Level 1 | $429.00 | $660.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC OB ER Level 1 | $429.00 | $660.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $315.00, median $429.00, highest $429.00 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $429.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
What it is
This is the lowest of five emergency department visit levels, used for a minor problem that needs little care. Since 2023 this level may apply even when no physician or similar clinician needs to see the patient. The level is assigned after the visit: doctors pick it by the complexity of their medical decision making, and hospitals pick the facility level by the care and resources used, so a patient cannot choose it in advance.
What the price covers
The hospital price for this code is the facility fee for the ER visit. The emergency physician bills separately, and lab tests, imaging, medicines and procedures are added on top.