Prices at 7 hospitals in Cincinnati, OH, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,107 — 31% below the US median ($1,601), roughly 6.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Samaritan Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $303 | — | ★ 4/5 | 157 min | 14.3% |
| Bethesda North | Cincinnati, OH | $303 | — | ★ 3/5 | 151 min | 15.5% |
| Christ Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $1,054 | $431 | ★ 5/5 | 163 min | 14.0% |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Llc | Cincinnati, OH | $1,107 | $413 | ★ 3/5 | 276 min | 15.9% |
| Mercy Health-Anderson Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $1,214 | — | ★ 4/5 | 156 min | 14.4% |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health | Cincinnati, OH | $1,214 | — | ★ 4/5 | 138 min | 15.6% |
| Mercy Health-West Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $1,214 | — | ★ 4/5 | 136 min | 15.1% |
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 August 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 $1,107 — about 6.6× the Medicare rate ($169). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($337).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,845 list price could save about $738 (40%).
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 lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices in Ohio → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Cincinnati