Head CT scan cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the head or brain, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $173.44 to $619.98, with a median of $340.07. The lowest listed price is at St Bernard Parish Hospital — $166.63 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $655.76 at 54 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 70450, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Bernard Parish Hospital lowest Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC CT HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $173.44 | $542.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC CT HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $285.04 | $1,018.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC CT HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $294.58 | $1,339.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC CT HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $385.56 | $1,428.00 | — | 73% | — source file |
| The Ochsner West Campus Extended Care Hospital Jefferson, LA HC CT HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $396.27 | $1,071.00 | — | 63% | — source file |
| St Charles Surgical Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 529-6600 CT BRAIN STANDARD CT | $619.98 | $1,758.00 | $95.70–$840.00 | 65% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $173.44, median $340.07, highest $619.98 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $500.72 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A CT scan of the head uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed cross-section pictures of the brain and skull. It is often used after a head injury, for sudden severe headache, or to look for bleeding or stroke. No contrast dye is used.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan (the technical part). The radiologist's reading of the images is often billed separately as the professional component.