CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Washington DC

Prices at 3 hospitals in Washington DC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,290 — 48% above the US median ($1,543), roughly 13.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Medstar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC $2,036 $909 ★ 3/5 400 min 14.4%
Howard University Hospital Corp Washington, DC $2,290 $646 ★ 1/5 232 min 14.9%
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital Washington, DC $2,391 $963 ★ 3/5 371 min 14.7%

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 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$3,133
Cash / self-pay
$2,290
Insurer-negotiated
$909
Medicare pays
$169
$2,087$2,371
Median cash $2,290  ·  Medicare $169  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,290 — about 13.6× 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 $3,133 list price could save about $842 (27%).

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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.

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CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in other states

All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Washington DC →