Prices at 4 hospitals in Albuquerque, NM, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,110 — 16% below the US median ($1,329), roughly 8.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unm Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $934 | $103 | ★ 2/5 | 279 min | 15.3% |
| Lovelace Medical Center | Albuquerque, NM | $1,110 | $1,850 | ★ 2/5 | 217 min | 14.9% |
| Lovelace Women's Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,110 | $1,850 | ★ 4/5 | 199 min | 14.0% |
| Lovelace Westside Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,110 | $1,850 | ★ 4/5 | 154 min | 15.2% |
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 July 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 $1,110 — about 8.5× 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 $3,700 list price could save about $2,590 (70%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Albuquerque
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Zielinski, D.O. | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 160 |
| Morgan Vonloh, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 82 |
| John Collingwood, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 75 |
| Sean Biggs, M.D. | Interventional Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 54 |
| Bronwyn Hamilton, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 39 |
| Richard Suhler, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 31 |
| Brian Mumford, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 21 |
| Russell Parker, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 19 |
All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in New Mexico → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Albuquerque