CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast cost in Houston, TX

Prices at 10 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $8,433 — 434% above the US median ($1,580), roughly 50.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital Houston, TX $1,412 $497 14.4%
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Houston, TX $2,156 ★ 4/5 252 min 14.6%
Memorial Hermann Hospital System Houston, TX $2,156 ★ 3/5 229 min 14.8%
St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage Houston, TX $4,548 $1,040 ★ 4/5 214 min 15.0%
St Joseph Medical Center Houston, TX $7,397 $471 ★ 3/5 189 min 15.2%
Texas Orthopedic Hospital Houston, TX $9,470 $699 106 min 14.1%
HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center Houston, TX $14,648 $2,106 ★ 4/5 80 min 14.9%
HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest Houston, TX $15,401 $924 ★ 2/5 140 min 15.6%
HCA Houston Healthcare West Houston, TX $15,401 $924 ★ 1/5 112 min 15.6%
Healthbridge Childrens's Hospital of Houston Houston, TX $15,401 $924

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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$11,232
Cash / self-pay
$8,433
Insurer-negotiated
$924
Medicare pays
$169
$2,082$15,401
Median cash $8,433  ·  Medicare $169  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $8,433 — about 50.0× 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 $11,232 list price could save about $2,799 (25%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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 Texas → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Houston