Techy SurgeonPrice AtlasInteractive atlas · All states · techysurgeon.com

South Carolina: one knee, three prices

What Medicare pays South Carolina hospitals and surgery centers for knee, hip and shoulder replacement, what hospitals list, and which cost the most and the least.

Surgery center
$8,399
Median Medicare knee rate, 26 orthopedic surgery centers
Hospital, same day
$11,207
Median outpatient allowed
Hospital, overnight
$13,748
Median inpatient paid, 19 hospitals

South Carolina has a certificate-of-need program that does not cover surgery centers.

Zoom into South Carolina on the mapBuild a South Carolina report

Lowest Medicare payment

HospitalCityInpatient paidList priceOutpatient
East Cooper Medical CenterMount Pleasant$11,697$123,583$10,828
Mount Pleasant HospitalMount Pleasant$11,821$60,078$11,214
Roper HospitalCharleston$12,341$59,478$11,143
Musc Health Columbia Medical Center DowntownColumbia$12,651$125,599$11,506
St Francis-DowntownGreenville$13,074$105,355$11,175
Roper St Francis Hospital-Berkely IncSummerville$13,220$72,209$11,393
Lexington Medical CenterWest Columbia$13,339$98,560$11,143
McLeod Regional Medical Center-Pee DeeFlorence$13,421$82,021$10,839
Prisma Health Patewood HospitalGreenville$13,453$81,717$11,207
Tidelands Waccamaw Community HospitalMurrells Inlet$13,748$60,039$11,259

Highest Medicare payment

HospitalCityInpatient paidList priceOutpatient
Musc Medical CenterCharleston$19,935$112,343$10,721
Self Regional HealthcareGreenwood$18,052$70,020$11,953
Prisma Health BaptistColumbia$17,847$116,305$11,227
Spartanburg Medical CenterSpartanburg$17,768$75,792$12,433
Prisma Health Oconee Memorial HospitalSeneca$15,660$91,630$11,979
Kershaw Medical CenterCamden$15,527$75,425$10,728
Grand Strand Regional Medical CenterMyrtle Beach$15,418$145,409$11,182
Trident Medical CenterCharleston$14,198$200,140$11,059
McLeod Loris HospitalLoris$13,984$92,797$11,085
Tidelands Waccamaw Community HospitalMurrells Inlet$13,748$60,039$11,259

Every South Carolina hospital (44)

Orthopedic surgery centers (26)

Questions

How much does Medicare pay for a knee replacement in South Carolina?

In 2024 Medicare paid South Carolina hospitals a median $13,748 per inpatient hip or knee replacement stay (MS-DRG 470, 19 hospitals) and a median $11,207 per outpatient case. An orthopedic surgery center is paid about $8,399 for a knee.

Which South Carolina hospitals does Medicare pay least for a joint replacement?

East Cooper Medical Center ($11,697), Mount Pleasant Hospital ($11,821), Roper Hospital ($12,341).

What do South Carolina hospitals list for a joint replacement?

The median list (chargemaster) price is $91,630, about 6.7× what Medicare pays.

Does South Carolina have a certificate-of-need law?

South Carolina has a certificate-of-need program that does not cover surgery centers. A 2023 law (S.164) removed ASCs and most facilities from CON immediately; hospital CON ends January 1, 2027 and nursing homes stay covered.