Prices at 17 hospitals in Chicago, IL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,628 — about the US median ($1,646), roughly 9.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
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 June 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 $1,628 — about 9.4× the Medicare rate ($173). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($346).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,580 list price could save about $1,952 (55%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All CT scan of the head with and without contrast prices in Illinois → · All CT scan of the head with and without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Chicago