Thoracic spine CT cost in Chicago, IL — inpatient
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 37 hospitals list a cash price for thoracic spine (mid back) CT scan without contrast as an inpatient: from $187.60 to $3,098.00, with a median of $1,250.00. The lowest listed price is at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital — $1,062.40 less than the median here. Across Illinois, the median is $2,160.62 at 105 hospitals.
Cash prices at 37 facilities across 28 cities for code 72128, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 1, 2025 and Apr 1, 2026.
Lowest$187.60John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital
Median$1,250.00half of hospitals charge less
Highest$3,098.00in this market
Difference16.5×highest vs lowest
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
median
Lowest $187.60Highest $3,098.00
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital lowest Chicago, IL · (312) 864-6000 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $187.60 | $268.00 | $156.06–$500.00 | 30% |
| Louis A Weiss Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL · (773) 878-8700 CT Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast+1 more line at this price File of Mar 17, 2025 · source file | $388.47 | $1,142.57 | $742.67 | 66% |
| Franciscan Health Rensselaer Rensselaer, IN · (219) 866-5141 CT Thor Spin; W/O Cont File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $552.39 | $1,543.00 | $227.13–$1,234.40 | 64% |
| Franciscan Health Munster Munster, IN · (219) 922-4200 CT Thor Spin; W/O Cont File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $587.88 | $2,760.00 | $110.61–$2,070.00 | 79% |
| Uchicago Medicine AdventHealth La Grange La Grange, IL · (708) 352-1200 HC CT SCAN,THORACIC SPINE,W/O CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $625.00 | $2,500.00 | — | 75% |
| Uchicago Medicine AdventHealth Bolingbrook Bolingbrook, IL · (630) 312-5000 HC CT SCAN,THORACIC SPINE,W/O CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $625.00 | $2,500.00 | — | 75% |
| Uchicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale Hinsdale, IL · (630) 856-9000 HC CT SCAN,THORACIC SPINE,W/O CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $625.00 | $2,500.00 | — | 75% |
| Uchicago Medicine AdventHealth Glenoaks Glendale Heights, IL · (630) 545-8000 HC CT SCAN,THORACIC SPINE,W/O CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $625.00 | $2,500.00 | — | 75% |
| Franciscan Health Crown Point Crown Point, IN · (219) 757-6100 CT Thor Spin; W/O Cont File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $712.08 | $2,760.00 | $2,760.00 | 74% |
| Franciscan Health Dyer Dyer, IN · (219) 865-2141 CT Thor Spin; W/O Cont File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $745.20 | $2,760.00 | $110.61–$2,070.00 | 73% |
| Advocate Christ Medical Center Oak Lawn, IL · (708) 684-8000 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $780.00 | $1,560.00 | $681.72–$1,248.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Childrens Hospital Oak Lawn Oak Lawn, IL CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $780.00 | $1,560.00 | $681.72–$1,248.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove, IL · (630) 275-5900 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $785.00 | $1,570.00 | $686.09–$1,256.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Barrington, IL · (847) 381-9600 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $800.00 | $1,600.00 | $699.20–$1,280.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago, IL · (773) 975-1600 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $855.00 | $1,710.00 | $747.27–$1,368.00 | 50% |
| Advocate South Suburban Hospital Hazel Crest, IL CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $1,125.00 | $2,250.00 | $983.25–$1,800.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago, IL · (773) 967-5002 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $1,125.00 | $2,250.00 | $983.25–$1,800.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville, IL · (847) 362-2900 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $1,140.00 | $2,280.00 | $996.36–$1,824.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Park Ridge, IL · (847) 723-2210 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $1,250.00 | $2,500.00 | $1,092.50–$2,000.00 | 50% |
| Advocate Childrens Hospital Park Ridge Park Ridge, IL CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $1,250.00 | $2,500.00 | $1,092.50–$2,000.00 | 50% |
| Resilience Healthcare West Suburban Medical Center Oak Park, IL · (708) 383-6200 CT Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast BCE+1 more line at this price File of Mar 17, 2025 · source file | $1,405.64 | $4,134.24 | $2,687.26 | 66% |
| Advocate Sherman Hospital Elgin, IL · (847) 742-9800 CT T SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 4, 2025 · source file | $1,510.00 | $3,020.00 | $1,319.74–$2,718.00 | 50% |
| NorthShore University HealthSystems Glenbrook Hospital Glenview, IL CT Thoracic Spine W/O Contras File of Jan 1, 2025 · source file | $1,511.25 | $2,325.00 | $378.98–$1,243.88 | 35% |
| NorthShore University HealthSystems Skokie Hospital Skokie, IL CT Thoracic Spine W/O Contras File of Jan 1, 2025 · source file | $1,511.25 | $2,325.00 | $378.98–$1,243.88 | 35% |
| Northwest Health - Porter Valparaiso, IN · (219) 983-8300 72128 CT-THOR SPINE W+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,632.24 | $4,534.00 | $1,088.16–$3,808.56 | 64% |
| Mercyhealth Hospital & Medical Center - Harvard Harvard, IL · (815) 943-5431 HC CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAST File of Mar 1, 2026 · source file | $1,829.05 | $2,438.73 | — | 25% |
| Northwest Community Hospital Arlington Heights, IL · (847) 618-1000 Hb Ct Chest Spine W/O Dye File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,861.00 | $1,861.00 | — | — |
| Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago Chicago, IL · (312) 227-4000 H CT SPINE THORACIC WO CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,117.50 | $3,025.00 | $900.00–$3,678.00 | 30% |
| The University of Chicago Medical Center Chicago, IL · (773) 702-9785 Hc Computed Tomography, Thoracic Spine; Without Contrast Material File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,135.00 | $2,135.00 | — | — |
| Mercyhealth Crystal Lake Hospital & Medical Center Crystal Lake, IL · (792) 220-5500 HC CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAST File of Mar 1, 2026 · source file | $2,160.62 | $2,880.83 | — | 25% |
| Endeavor Health Highland Park Hospital Highland Park, IL HB CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,401.00 | $2,401.00 | — | — |
| Swedish Covenant Health Chicago, IL · (773) 878-8200 HB CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,401.00 | $2,401.00 | — | — |
| Northshore University Healthsystem - Evanston Hospital Evanston, IL · (847) 570-2000 HB CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,401.00 | $2,401.00 | — | — |
| Uchicago Medicine Northwest Indiana Crown Point, IN · (312) 755-4706 HC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY, THORACIC SPINE; WITHOUT CONTRAST MATERIAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,917.00 | $2,917.00 | — | — |
| Ingalls Memorial Hospital Harvey, IL · (708) 333-2300 Hc Computed Tomography, Thoracic Spine; Without Contrast Material File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,917.00 | $2,917.00 | — | — |
| Edward Hospital Naperville, IL · (630) 527-3000 HC CT SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3,098.00 | $3,098.00 | — | — |
| Elmhurst Memorial Hospital Elmhurst, IL · (331) 221-1000 HC CT SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3,098.00 | $3,098.00 | — | — |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Inpatient: lowest $187.60, median $1,250.00, highest $3,098.00 — a 16.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 56 facilities here, median $1,377.32 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 20 of 22 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 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.