Prices at 4 hospitals in Portland, OR, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,083 — 19% below the US median ($1,329), roughly 8.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center | Portland, OR | $956 | — | ★ 3/5 | 170 min | — |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center | Portland, OR | $956 | — | ★ 4/5 | 183 min | — |
| OHSU Hospital and Clinics | Portland, OR | $1,210 | $141 | ★ 3/5 | 224 min | — |
| Shriners Hospital for Children-Portland | Portland, OR | $1,222 | $152 | — | — | — |
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 $1,083 — about 8.3× 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 $1,471 list price could save about $388 (26%).
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 Portland
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Nickerson, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 83 |
| Joao Prola Netto, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 76 |
| Charles Croteau, D.O. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 55 |
| David Pettersson, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 49 |
| Michael Regner, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 43 |
| Jaclyn Thiessen | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 43 |
| Trevor Thompson, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 39 |
| Leslie Starkey, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 34 |
| Louis Riccelli, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 33 |
| John Gustavsson, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 27 |
| Joel Roberson, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 25 |
| Ramon Barajas, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Portland, OR | 19 |
All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Oregon → · All CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Portland