Thoracic spine CT cost in Birmingham, AL — inpatient
In Birmingham, AL, 7 hospitals list a cash price for thoracic spine (mid back) CT scan without contrast as an inpatient: from $409.12 to $12,898.86, with a median of $6,031.00. The lowest listed price is at The Children's Hospital of Alabama – Benjamin Russell Hospital — $5,621.88 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $1,194.54 at 39 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 4 cities for code 72128, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jun 22, 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 Birmingham, AL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama – Benjamin Russell Hospital lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC CT Scan,Thoracic Spine,W/O Contrast - CT Thoracic Spine WO Contrast+1 more line at this price source file | $409.12 | $951.45 | $646.99–$951.45 | 57% |
| UAB Medical West Bessemer, AL · (205) 481-7000 T Spine w/o Contrast File of Jun 22, 2026 · source file | $886.50 | $1,182.00 | $732.84–$1,063.80 | 25% |
| Grandview Medical Center Birmingham, AL · (205) 971-1000 CT-THOR SPINE WO File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,346.72 | $9,778.00 | $2,346.72–$8,800.20 | 76% |
| Baptist Health Princeton Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 783-3800 Hb Ct Scan,Thoracic Spine,W/O Contrast - Ct Thoracic Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $6,031.00 | $6,031.00 | — | — |
| Baptist Health Walker Hospital Jasper, AL · (205) 387-4000 Hb Ct Scan,Thoracic Spine,W/O Contrast - Ct Thoracic Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $6,031.00 | $6,031.00 | — | — |
| Baptist Health Shelby Hospital Alabaster, AL · (205) 620-8100 Hb Ct Scan,Thoracic Spine,W/O Contrast - Ct Thoracic Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $6,031.00 | $6,031.00 | — | — |
| Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 877-1000 Hb Ct Scan,Thoracic Spine,W/O Contrast - Ct Thoracic Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $12,898.86 | $12,898.86 | — | — |
Inpatient: lowest $409.12, median $6,031.00, highest $12,898.86 — a 31.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $6,031.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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 1 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 thoracic spine CT makes detailed pictures of the twelve vertebrae of the mid back. It is used mainly after an injury to look for fractures, and in older adults for compression fractures.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan and any contrast dye. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.