CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in San Diego, CA

Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,412 — 81% above the US median ($1,332), roughly 18.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $480 $134 ★ 4/5 193 min 15.3%
UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr San Diego, CA $1,673 $1,329 ★ 5/5 258 min 14.3%
Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA $2,412 $2,010 ★ 4/5 197 min 15.4%
Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital San Diego, CA $2,412 $1,286
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego San Diego, CA $2,860 $146 ★ 4/5 13.7%

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)
$3,216
Cash / self-pay
$2,412
Insurer-negotiated
$1,286
Medicare pays
$130
$957$2,681
Median cash $2,412  ·  Medicare $130  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,412 — about 18.6× 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 $3,216 list price could save about $804 (25%).

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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.

All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in California → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in San Diego