CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with and without contrast cost in Dayton, OH

Prices at 4 hospitals in Dayton, OH, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,332 — 91% above the US median ($1,748), roughly 16.9× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Kettering Health Dayton Dayton, OH $1,341 $329 ★ 4/5 135 min 15.1%
Dayton Childrens Hospital Dayton, OH $2,723 $171
Miami Valley Hospital Dayton, OH $3,941 $212 ★ 3/5 161 min 16.0%
Shriners Hospitals for Children Dayton, OH $7,337 $276

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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$3,915
Cash / self-pay
$3,332
Insurer-negotiated
$244
Medicare pays
$197
$1,755$6,318
Median cash $3,332  ·  Medicare $197  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $3,332 — about 16.9× the Medicare rate ($197). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($393).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,915 list price could save about $583 (15%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

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 and without contrast prices in Ohio → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with and without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Dayton