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

Prices at 6 hospitals in Delaware, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,789 — 59% above the US median ($1,754), roughly 14.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Tidalhealth Nanticoke, Inc. Seaford, DE $1,900 $477 ★ 3/5 167 min 15.4%
St Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE $2,174 $922 ★ 3/5 194 min 14.8%
Beebe Medical Center Lewes, DE $2,458 $595 ★ 3/5 174 min 14.9%
Bayhealth Medical Center, Kent Campus Dover, DE $3,121 $261 ★ 2/5 278 min 15.0%
Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus Milford, DE $3,121 $256 ★ 3/5 252 min 15.0%
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware Wilmington, DE $5,817 $2,327

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)
$3,530
Cash / self-pay
$2,789
Insurer-negotiated
$536
Medicare pays
$197
$2,037$4,469
Median cash $2,789  ·  Medicare $197  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,789 — about 14.2× 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 $3,530 list price could save about $741 (21%).

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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.

CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with and without contrast cost in other states

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