Prices at 6 hospitals in Charlotte, NC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,444 — 9% above the US median ($1,329), roughly 11.1× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center | Charlotte, NC | $1,384 | $482 | ★ 5/5 | 157 min | 13.3% |
| Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center | Charlotte, NC | $1,384 | $1,067 | ★ 5/5 | 178 min | 13.2% |
| Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center | Charlotte, NC | $1,384 | $576 | — | 193 min | 14.5% |
| Atrium Health Pineville | Charlotte, NC | $1,504 | $534 | ★ 3/5 | 170 min | 15.5% |
| Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health | Charlotte, NC | $1,504 | $874 | ★ 4/5 | 198 min | 14.8% |
| Atrium Health University City | Charlotte, NC | $1,504 | $592 | ★ 3/5 | 144 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 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 $1,444 — about 11.1× 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 $2,888 list price could save about $1,444 (50%).
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 Charlotte
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erin Mccrum, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 212 |
| James Essenberg, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 186 |
| Joshua Arnold, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 150 |
| Nathan Fergus, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 138 |
| Robert Raible, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 128 |
| Taylor Stone, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 94 |
| Jay Patti, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 78 |
| Robert Lopez, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 77 |
| Scott Mahanty, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 74 |
| John Tobben, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 66 |
| Kevin Carroll, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 62 |
| Frank Kosarek, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charlotte, NC | 55 |
All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in North Carolina → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Charlotte