Chest CT scan with contrast cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for diagnostic CT scan of the chest, with contrast dye: from $181.35 to $2,862.00, with a median of $1,632.95. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital Lincoln — $1,451.60 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $1,574.95 at 24 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 10 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 24, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 CT Chest Diag W Cont Pf | $181.35 | $279.00 | $212.46–$233.71 | 35% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 CT-CHEST DIAG W | $362.91 | $604.85 | $604.85 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 CT Chest Diag W Cont | $950.95 | $1,463.00 | $151.76–$360.64 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO CT Chest Diag W Cont | $1,364.35 | $2,099.00 | $172.35–$219.61 | 35% | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 CT Thorax w/ Contrast | $1,488.08 | $1,860.10 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 CT Chest Diag W Cont | $1,543.75 | $2,375.00 | $154.38–$2,375.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO CT Chest Diag W Cont | $1,621.10 | $2,494.00 | $151.76–$409.32 | 35% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 432-3600 CT THORAX DX C+ | $1,644.80 | $1,644.80 | $140.75–$445.05 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO CT Chest Diag W Cont | $1,705.60 | $2,624.00 | $172.35–$395.29 | 35% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC CT CHEST W/CONTRAST | $2,331.36 | $3,238.00 | $186.80–$3,238.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC CT CHEST W/CONTRAST | $2,347.20 | $3,260.00 | $613.20–$3,260.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC CT CHEST W/CONTRAST | $2,487.60 | $3,455.00 | $187.96–$3,455.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC CT CHEST W/CONTRAST | $2,862.00 | $3,975.00 | $187.96–$3,975.00 | 28% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $181.35, median $1,632.95, highest $2,862.00 — a 15.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $2,339.28. 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 6 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 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.