Level 3 ER visit cost in Columbia, SC — inpatient
In Columbia, SC, 3 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 3 of 5, low-complexity problem as an inpatient: from $630.00 to $755.50, with a median of $755.50. The lowest listed price is at Kershaw Medical Center — $125.50 less than the median here. Across South Carolina, the median is $803.00 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 99283, 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 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 INTERMEDIATE | $630.00 | $1,260.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast Columbia, SC HB ER VISIT INTERMEDIATE | $755.50 | $1,511.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB ER VISIT INTERMEDIATE | $755.50 | $1,511.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $630.00, median $755.50, highest $755.50 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $755.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
What it is
This is the middle of five emergency department visit levels, used for a problem of low complexity, for example one that needs a few basic tests. 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.