CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with and without contrast cost in Kansas City, MO

Prices at 6 hospitals in Kansas City, MO, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,836 — 5% above the US median ($1,748), roughly 9.3× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill Kansas City, MO $703 $354 ★ 3/5 191 min 15.7%
University Health Lakewood Medical Center Kansas City, MO $703 $329 ★ 4/5 145 min 14.4%
The Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO $1,626 $132
St Lukes Hospital of Kansas City Kansas City, MO $2,046 $1,210 ★ 5/5 222 min 14.5%
Saint Lukes North Hospital Kansas City, MO $4,530 $1,009 ★ 5/5 171 min 13.7%
Research Medical Center Kansas City, MO $14,223 $567 ★ 2/5 89 min 15.9%

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)
$3,399
Cash / self-pay
$1,836
Insurer-negotiated
$461
Medicare pays
$197
$703$9,377
Median cash $1,836  ·  Medicare $197  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,836 — about 9.3× 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 $3,399 list price could save about $1,563 (46%).

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