CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with and without contrast cost in Boston, MA

Prices at 3 hospitals in Boston, MA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,601 — 49% above the US median ($1,748), roughly 13.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA $1,086 $752 ★ 2/5 208 min
Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA $2,601 $211 ★ 5/5 288 min
The Shriners' Hospital for Children-Boston Boston, MA $6,834 $224

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 September 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)
$3,468
Cash / self-pay
$2,601
Insurer-negotiated
$224
Medicare pays
$197
$1,389$5,988
Median cash $2,601  ·  Medicare $197  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,601 — about 13.2× the Medicare rate ($197). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($393).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,468 list price could save about $867 (25%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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) with and without contrast prices in Massachusetts → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) with and without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Boston