Level 1 ER visit cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 3 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 1 of 5, minor problem that may not need a doctor: from $252.00 to $284.00, with a median of $284.00. The lowest listed price is at Kershaw Medical Center — $32.00 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $284.00 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 99281, 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 ER VISIT BRIEF | $252.00 | $504.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast Columbia, SC HB ER VISIT BRIEF | $284.00 | $568.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB ER VISIT BRIEF | $284.00 | $568.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $252.00, median $284.00, highest $284.00 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $284.00. 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 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.