Prices at 173 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,481 — 117% above the US median ($1,602), roughly 20.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Surgical Hospital | Fresno, CA | $609 | $387 | — | — | — |
| Ventura County Medical Center | Ventura, CA | $660 | $463 | ★ 2/5 | 178 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura | Ventura, CA | $660 | $463 | ★ 4/5 | 190 min | — |
| Kaweah Health Medical Center | Visalia, CA | $894 | $1,018 | ★ 3/5 | 254 min | — |
| Colorado River Medical Center | Needles, CA | $1,084 | — | — | 121 min | — |
| Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District | Brawley, CA | $1,258 | $442 | ★ 3/5 | 191 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center | Merced, CA | $1,353 | $824 | ★ 3/5 | 224 min | — |
| Banner Lassen Medical Center | Susanville, CA | $1,427 | $2,358 | ★ 3/5 | 116 min | — |
| Antelope Valley Hospital | Lancaster, CA | $1,524 | $491 | ★ 1/5 | 264 min | — |
| Kern Medical Center | Bakersfield, CA | $1,577 | $434 | ★ 1/5 | 306 min | — |
| Lompoc Valley Medical Center | Lompoc, CA | $1,627 | $771 | ★ 1/5 | 171 min | — |
| UCI Health-Orange | Orange, CA | $1,654 | $606 | ★ 4/5 | 318 min | — |
| UCI Health-Los Alamitos | Los Alamitos, CA | $1,654 | $606 | ★ 1/5 | 238 min | — |
| UCI Health-Fountain Valley | Fountain Valley, CA | $1,654 | $606 | ★ 2/5 | 158 min | — |
| John Muir Medical Center-Walnut Creek Campus | Walnut Creek, CA | $1,686 | $493 | ★ 2/5 | 171 min | — |
| John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus | Concord, CA | $1,686 | $493 | ★ 4/5 | 145 min | — |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital | San Diego, CA | $1,763 | $449 | ★ 4/5 | 194 min | — |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla | La Jolla, CA | $1,763 | $449 | ★ 5/5 | 186 min | — |
| Scripps Green Hospital | La Jolla, CA | $1,763 | $449 | ★ 5/5 | — | — |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas | Encinitas, CA | $1,763 | $449 | ★ 4/5 | 200 min | — |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center | Loma Linda, CA | $1,808 | $1,029 | ★ 4/5 | 413 min | — |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta | Murrieta, CA | $1,808 | $1,029 | ★ 2/5 | 224 min | — |
| Loma Linda University Children's Hospital | Loma Linda, CA | $1,808 | $1,029 | ★ 3/5 | 232 min | — |
| Loma Linda VA Medical Center | Loma Linda, CA | $1,808 | $1,029 | ★ 3/5 | — | — |
| Contra Costa Regional Medical Center | Martinez, CA | $1,811 | — | ★ 4/5 | 171 min | — |
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 October 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 $3,481 — about 20.7× the Medicare rate ($168). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($337).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,900 list price could save about $2,419 (41%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
By city
CT scan of the neck (cervical spine) with contrast cost in other states
All CT scan of the neck (cervical spine) with contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →