Lung cancer screening CT cost in Washington, DC — inpatient
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 6 hospitals list a cash price for low-dose CT of the chest for lung cancer screening, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $175.50 to $418.50, with a median of $418.50. The lowest listed price is at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center — $243.00 less than the median here.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 71271, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center lowest Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Ct Self-Pay Lung Ca Screen | $175.50 | $351.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC LOW DOSE CT LUNG SCRN | $418.50 | $837.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC LOW DOSE CT LUNG SCRN | $418.50 | $837.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC LOW DOSE CT LUNG SCRN | $418.50 | $837.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC LOW DOSE CT LUNG SCRN | $418.50 | $837.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC LOW DOSE CT LUNG SCRN | $418.50 | $837.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Ct Thorax Lung Cancer Scr C- | $421.00 | $842.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $175.50, median $418.50, highest $418.50 — a 2.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $418.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 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 low-dose CT for lung cancer screening uses a lower amount of radiation to look for early lung cancer in people without symptoms. It is offered to certain adults based on their age and smoking history, usually as a yearly scan.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the low-dose scan. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately, and a shared decision-making visit with a clinician is billed as its own service.