Prices at 10 hospitals in Austin, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $985 — 26% below the US median ($1,329), roughly 7.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Hills Surgical Hospital | Austin, TX | $267 | $114 | — | — | 14.4% |
| Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin | Austin, TX | $548 | $112 | ★ 3/5 | 186 min | 14.3% |
| Dell Seton Med Center at the University of Tx | Austin, TX | $548 | $114 | ★ 4/5 | 233 min | 14.9% |
| Ascension Seton Southwest | Austin, TX | $548 | $112 | — | 134 min | 14.8% |
| Ascension Seton Northwest | Austin, TX | $548 | $112 | ★ 4/5 | 159 min | 14.4% |
| Dell Children's Medical Center | Austin, TX | $1,422 | $114 | — | — | — |
| Texas Childrens Hospital North Austin Campus | Austin, TX | $2,695 | $2,534 | — | — | — |
| St David's Medical Center | Austin, TX | $2,966 | $148 | ★ 4/5 | 161 min | 15.0% |
| St David's South Austin Medical Center | Austin, TX | $2,966 | $250 | ★ 3/5 | 149 min | 15.2% |
| North Austin Medical Center | Austin, TX | $3,129 | $364 | ★ 3/5 | 156 min | 14.4% |
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)
Typical cash price here is $985 — about 7.6× the Medicare rate ($130). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($260).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,777 list price could save about $792 (45%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Austin
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kellan Schallert, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 144 |
| Mark Auler, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 139 |
| John Mireur, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 134 |
| Bhairav Patel, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 132 |
| David Leake, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 116 |
| Joshua Abramowitz | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 108 |
| Anthony Masaryk, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 96 |
| Booth Aldred, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 90 |
| Jonathan Kini, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 83 |
| Russell Putnam, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 77 |
| Dan Richardson, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 73 |
| Michal Klysik, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 68 |
All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Texas → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Austin