Prices at 3 hospitals in Charleston, SC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $583 — 32% above the US median ($441), roughly 5.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier Hospital | Charleston, SC | $583 | — | ★ 3/5 | 153 min | — |
| Roper Hospital | Charleston, SC | $583 | — | ★ 4/5 | 96 min | — |
| Trident Medical Center | Charleston, SC | $1,705 | $249 | ★ 3/5 | 126 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated October 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $583 — about 5.4× the Medicare rate ($107). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($214).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $897 list price could save about $314 (35%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Charleston
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashli O'rourke, MD | Otolaryngology | Charleston, SC | 119 |
| Lauren Fiorillo, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 117 |
| Lauren Fiorillo, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 112 |
| Stephen Schabel, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 75 |
| Stephen Schabel, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 54 |
| Elias Gunnell, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 51 |
| Elias Gunnell, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 40 |
| Andrew Hardie, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 38 |
| Hillary George, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 33 |
| Salvador Mendez, DO | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 20 |
| Salvador Mendez, DO | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 20 |
All Barium swallow study prices in South Carolina → · All Barium swallow study prices (national) · All hospitals in Charleston