South Carolina / Trident Medical Center

CMS certification 420079 · Charleston, SC · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list

Trident Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments

Trident Medical Center reported 4,315 Medicare inpatient stays across 124 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 11.3 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in South Carolina, number 1 of 45 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.13×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 468 stays at an average charge of $145,719, 61% above the national average. It also billed 3,590 outpatient services, charging 22.56 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 4,315
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 11.3×
3Rank in SC (highest ratio = 1) 1 of 45
4CMS price-transparency actions 3

Average charge per stay at Trident Medical Center, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 124 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Trident Medical Center charged more than the national average in 124 (100%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.

DRG	Stays	Avg charge	vs US	Avg paid
871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC	468	$145,719	+61%	$14,972
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	188	$99,070	+76%	$10,230
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	186	$322,759	+106%	$24,100
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	184	$126,733	+67%	$12,279
682 Renal Failure with MCC	112	$93,578	+42%	$11,134
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	108	$192,931	+93%	$15,272
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	95	$143,751	+104%	$12,530
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	87	$103,569	+73%	$9,872
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	81	$211,308	+110%	$15,762
683 Renal Failure with CC	80	$69,530	+71%	$7,490
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	76	$85,170	+74%	$9,155
310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC	74	$34,969	+22%	$5,047
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	73	$406,554	+78%	$34,484
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	68	$96,002	+67%	$10,263
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	67	$95,529	+71%	$8,607
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	64	$99,217	+65%	$9,825
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	59	$113,279	+54%	$12,064
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	56	$302,571	+164%	$14,509
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	56	$148,378	+74%	$13,661
811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC	50	$116,290	+71%	$12,685
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	48	$46,527	+29%	$6,394
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	46	$397,733	+143%	$27,492
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	46	$72,782	+81%	$6,428
281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC	45	$100,059	+98%	$8,879
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	41	$69,837	+79%	$7,537
208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96...	40	$253,409	+87%	$21,112
552 Medical Back Problems without MCC	37	$94,099	+93%	$8,106
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	37	$58,827	+59%	$6,628
100 Seizures with MCC	36	$155,737	+65%	$14,939
812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC	36	$100,513	+126%	$7,799
455 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion without CC/MCC	35	$350,112	+72%	$36,571
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	35	$91,793	+79%	$9,354
069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic	33	$78,347	+55%	$7,028
480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC	32	$297,574	+114%	$22,809
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	32	$209,336	+105%	$15,805
637 Diabetes with MCC	32	$157,559	+137%	$12,694
329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC	31	$383,529	+78%	$32,129
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	31	$84,047	+73%	$8,394
394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC	31	$76,483	+63%	$7,590
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	29	$227,592	+103%	$18,067
312 Syncope and Collapse	29	$70,516	+55%	$7,398
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	29	$81,747	+116%	$6,707
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	27	$488,074	+71%	$46,918
870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours	26	$491,537	+52%	$44,265
070 Other Cerebrovascular Disorders with MCC	24	$113,386	+49%	$13,363
270 Other Major Cardiovascular Procedures with MCC	24	$519,974	+101%	$35,908
057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC	23	$77,730	+37%	$9,471
243 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with CC	23	$344,226	+210%	$19,807
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	23	$132,836	+108%	$8,739
393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC	22	$134,273	+75%	$12,796
432 Cirrhosis and Alcoholic Hepatitis with MCC	22	$172,301	+80%	$15,516
305 Hypertension without MCC	21	$57,771	+44%	$6,398
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	21	$92,934	+52%	$9,679
493 Lower Extremity and Humerus Procedures except Hip, Foot and...	21	$257,932	+117%	$21,560
638 Diabetes with CC	21	$67,081	+61%	$7,835
141 Major Head and Neck Procedures with CC	20	$321,165	+150%	$19,113
273 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures with MCC	20	$401,419	+87%	$28,257
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	20	$109,284	+93%	$9,555
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	20	$257,379	+116%	$25,063
331 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures without CC/MCC	20	$227,149	+165%	$14,840

Showing the 60 most frequent of 124 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Comprehensive Observation Services	684	$40,010	$2,327
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	361	$520,706	$20,308
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	238	$19,988	$1,376
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	215	$81,654	$2,807
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	184	$54,847	$2,982
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	172	$156,144	$11,059
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	152	$65,978	$4,397
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	137	$113,507	$4,891
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	100	$98,391	$6,079
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	89	$157,542	$8,796
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	87	$23,930	$1,757
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	78	$23,640	$2,727
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	78	$250,750	$9,385
Level 5 ENT Procedures	71	$86,102	$4,918
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	70	$22,715	$1,604
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	68	$35,850	$2,452
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	67	$220,923	$9,208
Level 5 Neurostimulator and Related Procedures	53	$221,303	$26,715
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	48	$41,194	$2,746
Level 2 Vascular Procedures	42	$11,009	$1,356
Level 2 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures	37	$64,070	$5,505
Level 3 Airway Endoscopy	35	$18,753	$1,464
Level 4 Airway Endoscopy	35	$34,608	$3,231
Level 3 Lower GI Procedures	35	$27,489	$2,367
Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures	33	$48,834	$3,289

Against the South Carolina average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Trident Medical Center charged $145,719 on average, 90% more than the South Carolina average of $76,532, and was paid $14,972 against a state average of $16,014. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Trident Medical Center charged $99,070 on average, 117% more than the South Carolina average of $45,682, and was paid $10,230 against a state average of $10,696. For Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC (DRG 274), Trident Medical Center charged $322,759 on average, 73% more than the South Carolina average of $186,698, and was paid $24,100 against a state average of $25,978. For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC (DRG 280), Trident Medical Center charged $126,733 on average, 80% more than the South Carolina average of $70,461, and was paid $12,279 against a state average of $12,591. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $40,010 was 93% above the state average of $20,764. For Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures (outpatient APC 5213), its average charge of $520,706 was 139% above the state average of $218,121. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $19,988 was 71% above the state average of $11,718. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $81,654 was 158% above the state average of $31,661.

Price-transparency record

CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Trident Medical Center in Charleston, SC, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:

Warning Notice — 2023-07-13 (CMS case 791)
Closure Notice — 2023-10-30 (CMS case 791)
Met Requirements — 2025-05-05 (CMS case 4285)

A warning notice or corrective-action request is not a finding of wrongdoing; "Met Requirements" and closure notices record that CMS's review ended. Matched to this hospital by exact name, city and state.

Charges are the hospital's list prices averaged over its 2024 Medicare cases; payments are what those cases actually brought in. Neither is what you will pay. For a planned procedure, ask the hospital for its price estimate or, if you are uninsured or self-paying, a good-faith estimate.

Sources: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Medicare Outpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Activities and Outcomes, July 2026. Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.