CT scan of the head or brain, no contrast dye in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the head or brain, no contrast dye: from $133.00 to $2,785.50, with a median of $2,288.00. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 70450, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA CT HEAD/BRAIN WO CON - 70450 - 420028301 | $133.00 | $2,498.27 | 95% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA CT HEAD/BRAIN WO CON - 70450 - 4200283 | $133.00 | $2,498.27 | 95% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA Ct Scan Head Or Brain | $1,558.70 | $2,834.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rsp Ct Brain W/O Con | $1,882.50 | $2,510.00 | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA CT HEAD/BRAIN W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,288.00 | $4,400.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA CT HEAD/BRAIN W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,288.00 | $4,400.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA CT HEAD/BRAIN W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,288.00 | $4,400.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA HC CT SCANHEAD/BRAINW/O CONTRAST MATL - CT HEAD WO CONTRAST | $2,785.50 | $3,714.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital Corporation La Mesa, CA HC CT SCANHEAD/BRAINW/O CONTRAST MATL - CT HEAD WO CONTRAST | $2,785.50 | $3,714.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA HC CT SCANHEAD/BRAINW/O CONTRAST MATL - CT HEAD WO CONTRAST | $2,785.50 | $3,714.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA HC CT SCANHEAD/BRAINW/O CONTRAST MATL - CT HEAD WO CONTRAST | $2,785.50 | $3,714.00 | 25% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $133.00, median $2,288.00, highest $2,785.50 — a 20.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $2,288.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.