Prices at 7 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,548 — 195% above the US median ($1,543), roughly 27.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital | Houston, TX | $1,412 | $248 | — | — | 14.4% |
| Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center | Houston, TX | $2,156 | — | ★ 4/5 | 252 min | 14.6% |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | Houston, TX | $2,156 | — | ★ 3/5 | 229 min | 14.8% |
| St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage | Houston, TX | $4,548 | $800 | ★ 4/5 | 214 min | 15.0% |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Houston, TX | $7,397 | $362 | ★ 3/5 | 189 min | 15.2% |
| Texas Orthopedic Hospital | Houston, TX | $9,470 | $402 | — | 106 min | 14.1% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center | Houston, TX | $14,287 | $1,301 | ★ 4/5 | 80 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 $4,548 — about 27.0× the Medicare rate ($169). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($337).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $7,397 list price could save about $2,849 (39%).
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) prices in Texas → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Houston