CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with and without contrast cost in Los Angeles, CA

Prices at 6 hospitals in Los Angeles, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $5,027 — 187% above the US median ($1,754), roughly 25.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA $3,120 $241 ★ 5/5 15.2%
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-West La Los Angeles, CA $3,120 $241 ★ 3/5 15.6%
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $5,027 $386 ★ 2/5 254 min 15.4%
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA $5,481 $1,243 ★ 5/5 369 min 14.3%
East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital Los Angeles, CA $5,881 $344 ★ 1/5 179 min 14.9%

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 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)
$6,000
Cash / self-pay
$5,027
Insurer-negotiated
$365
Medicare pays
$197
$3,120$5,721
Median cash $5,027  ·  Medicare $197  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $5,027 — about 25.6× 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 $6,000 list price could save about $973 (16%).

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