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

Prices at 39 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,788 — about the US median ($1,754), roughly 9.1× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down Iowa City, IA $276 $335 ★ 4/5 157 min 15.0%
University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics Iowa City, IA $276 $335 ★ 2/5 210 min 13.5%
Greater Regional Medical Center Creston, IA $307 $431 ★ 3/5 98 min 14.5%
Methodist Jennie Edmundson Council Bluffs, IA $605 $598 ★ 3/5 149 min 15.8%
St Lukes Hospital Cedar Rapids, IA $843 $183 ★ 4/5 168 min 15.1%
St Lukes Regional Medical Center Sioux City, IA $843 $183 ★ 2/5 180 min 15.6%
Greene County Medical Center Jefferson, IA $989 $1,678 109 min 15.0%
Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown Marshalltown, IA $1,106 $193 ★ 3/5 154 min 15.2%
Allen Hospital Waterloo, IA $1,106 $183 ★ 3/5 159 min 15.6%
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA $1,150 $674 ★ 5/5 169 min 15.1%
Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center Sumner, IA $1,292 118 min 14.7%
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital Humboldt, IA $1,317 $1,139 96 min 14.8%
Van Diest Medical Center Webster City, IA $1,447 $1,266 ★ 5/5 104 min 14.4%
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Storm Lake, IA $1,590 $1,928 ★ 2/5 151 min 15.0%
Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA $1,708 $193 ★ 3/5 114 min 16.0%
Mercyone Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque, IA $1,718 $179 ★ 3/5 212 min 15.6%
Clarke County Hospital Osceola, IA $1,724 $361 ★ 5/5 104 min 14.8%
Cherokee Regional Medical Center Cherokee, IA $1,745 $1,939 ★ 2/5 132 min 14.8%
CHI Health-Mercy Corning Corning, IA $1,781 $3,562 ★ 3/5 131 min 14.8%
Story County Hospital Nevada, IA $1,788 $1,699 103 min 15.2%
CHI Health Missouri Valley Missouri Valley, IA $1,818 $3,562 ★ 4/5 102 min 14.9%
Pocahontas Community Hospital Pocahontas, IA $1,873 $1,779 121 min
Sartori Memorial Hospital, Inc Cedar Falls, IA $1,977 $179 99 min 14.3%
Regional Medical Center Manchester, IA $1,987 $870 ★ 4/5 147 min 14.3%
Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Lake City, IA $2,112 129 min 15.0%

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)
$2,640
Cash / self-pay
$1,788
Insurer-negotiated
$598
Medicare pays
$197
$795$3,077
Median cash $1,788  ·  Medicare $197  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,788 — about 9.1× 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 $2,640 list price could save about $852 (32%).

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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 Iowa →