Prices at 3 hospitals in Charleston, SC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $18,598 — 223% above the US median ($5,766), roughly 28.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier Hospital | Charleston, SC | $18,448 | $5,857 | ★ 3/5 | 153 min | — |
| Roper Hospital | Charleston, SC | $18,748 | $5,710 | ★ 4/5 | 96 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 $18,598 — about 28.3× the Medicare rate ($658). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($1,316).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $30,996 list price could save about $12,398 (40%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Lucas, M.D. | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 36 |
| Thomas Litton, M.D. | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 30 |
| Sara Wilson, M.D. | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 26 |
| Jeffrey Lafond | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 25 |
| William Lancaster, M.D. | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 20 |
| Andrea Bessinger | Physician Assistant | Charleston, SC | 18 |
| Walter Blessing, MD | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 17 |
| Monther Altiti, MD | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 13 |
| Deanna Mansker, M.D. | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 12 |
| David Mccabe, M.D. | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 11 |
| Tochukwu Onyekwelu, MD | General Surgery | Charleston, SC | 11 |
All Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) prices in South Carolina → · All Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) prices (national) · All hospitals in Charleston