Chest CT scan with contrast cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 8 hospitals list a cash price for diagnostic CT scan of the chest, with contrast dye: from $258.44 to $987.70, with a median of $724.55. The lowest listed price is at Touro Infirmary — $466.11 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $904.49 at 13 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 3 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 Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touro Infirmary lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $258.44 | $1,846.00 | $1,310.66–$956.00 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $274.88 | $1,718.00 | $1,030.80–$650.00 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $484.11 | $1,793.00 | $114.60–$876.60 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $532.62 | $2,421.00 | $1,370.29–$946.61 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $916.48 | $5,728.00 | $1,011.00–$774.00 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $987.70 | $7,055.00 | $1,411.00–$747.83 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $987.70 | $7,055.00 | $1,411.00–$747.83 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA CT Scan Thorax Diagnostic W/Contrast | $987.70 | $7,055.00 | $1,411.00–$747.83 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $258.44, median $724.55, highest $987.70 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 7 it is 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.