Prices at 3 hospitals in Louisville, KY, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $720 — 55% below the US median ($1,601), roughly 4.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uofl Health-Jewish Hospital and Mary & Elizabeth Hospital | Louisville, KY | $720 | $1,500 | ★ 2/5 | 138 min | — |
| University of Louisville Hospital | Louisville, KY | $720 | $1,500 | ★ 1/5 | 198 min | — |
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 September 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 $720 — about 4.3× 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 $2,999 list price could save about $2,279 (76%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Louisville
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Burger, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 112 |
| Chithra Ram, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 43 |
| Martin Vyleta, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 12 |
All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices in Kentucky → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Louisville