Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at MUSC Health Chester Medical Center

1 Medical Park Drive, Chester, SC · Muschealth · · NPI 1558937474

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Apr 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$233.00

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$466.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$35.19 with Bcbs vs $856.66 with Molina — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
Bcbs Employee $35.19 ↓ -85%
Bcbs Employee $35.19 ↓ -85%
Bcbs Lowcountry Blue Exchange $36.39 ↓ -84%
Bcbs Lowcountry Blue Exchange $36.39 ↓ -84%
Bcbs Blueessentials Exchange $46.28 ↓ -80%
Bcbs Bluechoice Exchange $46.28 ↓ -80%
Bcbs Blueessentials Exchange $46.28 ↓ -80%
Bcbs Bluechoice Exchange $46.28 ↓ -80%
Bcbs State Other Commercial Plan $46.92 ↓ -80%
Bcbs State Other Commercial Plan $46.92 ↓ -80%
Bcbs Preferred Blue Ppo $79.44 ↓ -66%
Bcbs Preferred Blue Ppo $79.44 ↓ -66%
Bcbs Bluechoice Hmo $87.27 ↓ -63%
Bcbs Bluechoice Hmo $87.27 ↓ -63%
Aetna All Commercial Plans $139.84 ↓ -40%
Aetna All Commercial Plans $139.84 ↓ -40%
Unitedhealthcare All Commercial Plans $185.02 ↓ -21%
Unitedhealthcare All Commercial Plans $185.02 ↓ -21%
Bcbs Medicare Managed Care Plan $778.78 ↑ +234%
Bcbs Medicare Managed Care Plan $778.78 ↑ +234%
Humana Medicare Managed Care - Ppo $790.76 ↑ +239%
Humana Medicare Managed Care - Ppo $790.76 ↑ +239%
Clover Health Medicare Managed Care Plan $794.36 ↑ +241%
Clover Health Medicare Managed Care Plan $794.36 ↑ +241%
Aetna Medicare Managed Care Plan $798.59 ↑ +243%
Aetna Medicare Managed Care Plan $798.59 ↑ +243%
Absolute Total Care Ambetter Exchange $837.19 ↑ +259%
Absolute Total Care Ambetter Exchange $837.19 ↑ +259%
Molina Exchange $856.66 ↑ +268%
Molina Exchange $856.66 ↑ +268%

Visitor-reported prices

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Consultation pathology during surgery cytological exam initial site at other South-carolina hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
HCA HEALTHCARE BRIGHTON PARK ER MONCKS CORNER $128.00 $38.53 – $114.83
LIVE OAK MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS Ladson $128.00 $38.53 – $114.83
MUSC Health Florence Medical Center Florence $257.00 $15.34 – $824.28
MUSC Health Kershaw Medical Center Camden $296.50 $25.93 – $856.66
St Francis Downtown Greenville $1,863.60 not published
St Francis Eastside Greenville $1,863.60 not published
MUSC Health Orangeburg Medical Center Orangeburg $233.50 $749.34 – $824.28
MUSC Health Main Campus - Charleston Charleston $233.50 $25.76 – $824.28

All South-carolina hospitals for this procedure →