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

Prices at 25 hospitals in Massachusetts, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,601 — 48% above the US median ($1,754), roughly 13.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Brockton, MA $624 $256 ★ 3/5 210 min
Sturdy Memorial Hospital Attleboro, MA $716 ★ 3/5 197 min 16.2%
Holyoke Medical Center Holyoke, MA $720 $219 ★ 4/5 267 min 16.2%
Cape Cod Hospital Hyannis, MA $886 $249 ★ 2/5 202 min 16.5%
Falmouth Hospital Falmouth, MA $899 $249 ★ 4/5 160 min 16.0%
Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA $1,020 $1,020 ★ 3/5 164 min 14.9%
Mercy Medical Ctr Springfield, MA $1,086 $231 ★ 2/5 278 min 15.7%
Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA $1,086 $752 ★ 2/5 211 min 17.2%
Emerson Hospital W Concord, MA $1,400 $497 ★ 5/5 210 min 13.5%
Milford Regional Medical Center Milford, MA $2,236 ★ 4/5 274 min 17.2%
Athol Memorial Hospital Athol, MA $2,277 $427 ★ 2/5 176 min 15.3%
Heywood Hospital Gardner, MA $2,357 $413 ★ 2/5 194 min 15.7%
Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA $2,601 $211 ★ 5/5 283 min 14.3%
Boston Medical Center-Brighton Brighton, MA $2,605 $265 ★ 3/5 148 min 16.4%
Berkshire Medical Center Pittsfield, MA $2,666 $1,608 ★ 4/5 248 min 14.9%
Fairview Hospital Great Barrington, MA $2,666 $1,743 ★ 5/5 114 min 14.2%
North Adams Regional Hospital Corporation North Adams, MA $2,666 $1,560 153 min
Umass Memorial Healthalliance Hospitals Leominster, MA $4,229 $679 ★ 3/5 253 min 15.5%
Umass Memorial Health-Harrington Hospital Southbridge, MA $4,229 $679 ★ 3/5 215 min 16.0%
Umass Memorial Healthcare-Marlborough Hospital Marlborough, MA $4,229 $679 ★ 2/5 236 min 16.3%
Umass Memorial Medical Center/university Campus Worcester, MA $4,229 $679 ★ 3/5 296 min 14.9%
Adcare Hospital of Worcester Inc Worcester, MA $6,093 $503 16.4%
St Vincent Hospital Worcester, MA $6,093 $503 ★ 2/5 220 min 14.8%
The Shriners' Hospital for Children-Boston Boston, MA $6,834 $224
North Shore Medical Center Salem, MA $11,223 $248 ★ 5/5 276 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 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)
$2,807
Cash / self-pay
$2,601
Insurer-negotiated
$497
Medicare pays
$197
$787$6,093
Median cash $2,601  ·  Medicare $197  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,601 — about 13.2× 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 $2,807 list price could save about $206 (7%).

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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.

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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 Massachusetts →