Chest CT scan with contrast cost in Denver, CO
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 7 hospitals list a cash price for diagnostic CT scan of the chest, with contrast dye: from $1,153.82 to $1,831.05, with a median of $1,153.82. The lowest listed price is at AdventHealth Porter and 3 other hospitals. Across Colorado, the median is $1,153.82 at 13 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 cities for code 71260, 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 Apr 30, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AdventHealth Porter lowest Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC CAT SCAN OF CHEST CONTRAST | $1,153.82 | $1,153.82 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker lowest Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC CAT SCAN OF CHEST CONTRAST | $1,153.82 | $1,153.82 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock lowest Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC CAT SCAN OF CHEST CONTRAST | $1,153.82 | $1,153.82 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton lowest Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC CAT SCAN OF CHEST CONTRAST | $1,153.82 | $1,153.82 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC CT THORAX W/DYE | $1,211.70 | $3,462.00 | $185.03–$1,813.00 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| National Jewish Health Denver, CO · (303) 388-4461 HC CT THORAX DX W/CONTRAST | $1,477.70 | $2,111.00 | $185.03–$1,688.80 | 30% | — source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CT CHEST W CONTRAST | $1,831.05 | $2,817.00 | $281.70–$2,591.64 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,153.82, median $1,153.82, highest $1,831.05 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $1,153.82. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. 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 chest CT with contrast uses X-rays and dye injected into a vein to make detailed pictures of the lungs, blood vessels, lymph nodes and other chest tissues. It is used to look at masses, enlarged lymph nodes, infections and for cancer staging.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan; the contrast agent may appear as a separate line on some bills. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.