Thoracic spine CT cost in Des Moines, IA — inpatient
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for thoracic spine (mid back) CT scan without contrast as an inpatient: from $1,087.00 to $4,083.00, with a median of $1,328.78. The lowest listed price is at Broadlawns Medical Center — $241.78 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $1,381.20 at 84 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 cities for code 72128, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Sep 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadlawns Medical Center lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 Ct Chest Spine W/O Dye File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,087.00 | $1,087.00 | — | — |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC CT Thoracic Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $1,320.15 | $2,031.00 | $98.68–$2,031.00 | 35% |
| Dallas County Hospital Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 CT SPINE THORAC WO CONTR- PER PROTOCOL source file | $1,327.00 | $2,042.00 | $118.34–$1,735.70 | 35% |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC CT Thoracic Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $1,330.55 | $2,047.00 | $98.96–$2,047.00 | 35% |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC CT THORACIC SPINE WO CONTRAST+1 more line at this price File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $2,245.72 | $2,807.15 | $1,215.50 | 20% |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines, IA HC CT Thoracic Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $4,083.00 | $4,083.00 | $98.68–$4,083.00 | — |
Inpatient: lowest $1,087.00, median $1,328.78, highest $4,083.00 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $1,489.28 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 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 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.