Prices at 6 hospitals in Saint Louis, MO, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,051 — 21% below the US median ($1,332), roughly 8.1× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Baptist Medical Center | Saint Louis, MO | $691 | $749 | ★ 5/5 | 252 min | 14.8% |
| Christian Hospital Northeast | Saint Louis, MO | $691 | $749 | ★ 4/5 | 223 min | 14.7% |
| Mercy Hospital South | Saint Louis, MO | $813 | $188 | ★ 2/5 | 246 min | 15.8% |
| St Louis Childrens Hospital | Saint Louis, MO | $1,289 | $1,532 | — | — | — |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis | Saint Louis, MO | $1,380 | $178 | ★ 4/5 | 217 min | 15.1% |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children | Saint Louis, MO | $4,291 | $178 | — | — | — |
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)
Typical cash price here is $1,051 — about 8.1× 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 $1,687 list price could save about $636 (38%).
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) without contrast prices in Missouri → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Saint Louis