US Health Care Costs

CT scan of the head, without contrast

CPT 70450 · Scans and imaging · hospital facility charge

At the 176 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $1,355, and most charge between $273 and $8,625 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$1,355typical cash price
$676typical commercial insurer rate
$2,420typical list price
176hospitals in 37 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWI$1.5kVTNHWA$1.1kID$819MTNDMN$428IL$2.3kMI$144NY$794MA$1.4kOR$1.6kNV$8.7kWYSD$2.3kIA$2.2kIN$466OH$637PA$606NJ$139CT$827RICA$2.8kUT$1.4kCO$2.0kNE$651MO$1.1kKY$419WVVA$1.3kMD$80DE$1.6kAZ$2.3kNMKS$9.5kARTN$3.6kNC$929SC$1.8kDCOK$1.5kLAMS$890AL$2.3kGA$1.1kHITX$4.6kFL$12kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$2,321$2,321$2,321$207
Arizona2$2,326$666$3,985$472
California16$2,786$864$19,448$598
Colorado1$2,050$2,050$2,050$803
Connecticut1$827$827$827$217
Delaware1$1,564$1,564$1,564$485
Florida16$11,709$597$23,586$2,354
Georgia7$1,083$746$1,904$525
Iowa1$2,220$2,220$2,220$276
Idaho2$819$819$819$872
Illinois9$2,253$810$3,812$969
Indiana3$466$298$541$466
Kansas3$9,450$6,521$12,380$1,030
Kentucky2$419$411$427$498
Massachusetts4$1,371$1,106$1,515$572
Maryland3$80$62$105–
Michigan3$144$144$2,244$169
Minnesota1$428$428$428$604
Missouri6$1,107$455$1,935$587
Mississippi1$890$890$890$231
North Carolina6$929$821$1,322$1,081
Nebraska1$651$651$651$832
New Jersey10$139$118$445$374
Nevada1$8,748$8,748$8,748$245
New York3$794$396$1,700$228
Ohio10$637$111$1,396$192
Oklahoma3$1,494$924$2,036$808
Oregon1$1,586$1,586$1,586$157
Pennsylvania11$606$118$2,937$274
South Carolina5$1,795$1,571$5,388$1,143
South Dakota1$2,334$2,334$2,334$1,605
Tennessee3$3,624$704$6,544$208
Texas26$4,589$589$13,743$1,007
Utah2$1,355$1,355$1,355$1,414
Virginia7$1,328$1,328$4,660$876
Washington2$1,108$807$1,410$333
Wisconsin1$1,540$1,540$1,540$1,022
176 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does CT scan of the head, without contrast cost at a hospital?

At 169 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for CT scan of the head, without contrast is $1,355, and most charge between $273 and $8,625. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $676. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for CT scan of the head, without contrast?

At 34 of the 159 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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