Prices at 3 hospitals in Louisville, KY, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $489 — 63% below the US median ($1,329), roughly 3.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uofl Health-Jewish Hospital and Mary & Elizabeth Hospital | Louisville, KY | $489 | $1,018 | ★ 2/5 | 145 min | 15.6% |
| University of Louisville Hospital | Louisville, KY | $489 | $1,018 | ★ 1/5 | 198 min | 16.4% |
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 $489 — about 3.8× 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 $2,036 list price could save about $1,547 (76%).
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 Louisville
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durrett Craddock, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 134 |
| Stephen Anvar, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 110 |
| Robert Buse, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 105 |
| Edward Crase, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 93 |
| Michael Hogan, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 87 |
| Robert Kadner, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 82 |
| Chithra Ram, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 59 |
| Gregory Walton, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 57 |
| Collin Gamble | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 41 |
| Deborah Ash, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 37 |
| John Burger, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 37 |
| Malisa Lester, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Louisville, KY | 18 |
All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Kentucky → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Louisville