Thoracic spine CT cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 14 hospitals list a cash price for thoracic spine (mid back) CT scan without contrast: from $285.04 to $862.40, with a median of $644.89. The lowest listed price is at Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner — $359.85 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $756.63 at 54 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 6 cities for code 72128, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner lowest Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $285.04 | $1,018.00 | $81.46–$1,195.00 | 72% | — source file |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $361.92 | $1,131.00 | $81.46–$848.25 | 68% | — source file |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $380.60 | $1,730.00 | $38.28–$1,799.00 | 78% | — source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $389.18 | $1,769.00 | $1,001.25–$94.96 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $530.82 | $1,966.00 | $38.28–$1,671.10 | 73% | — source file |
| St Charles Surgical Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 529-6600 CT THO SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $619.98 | $1,758.00 | $95.70–$840.00 | 65% | — source file |
| Omega Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 616-3897 CT THORACIC SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $638.58 | $1,094.70 | $1,094.70–$1,824.50 | 42% | — source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $651.20 | $4,070.00 | $117.89–$94.96 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $683.04 | $4,269.00 | $100.01–$94.96 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $714.42 | $2,646.00 | $1,031.94–$94.96 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $750.96 | $5,364.00 | $109.70–$999.31 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $862.40 | $6,160.00 | $1,232.00–$95.39 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $862.40 | $6,160.00 | $1,232.00–$95.39 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 988-5263 CT Scan of Middle Spine | $862.40 | $6,160.00 | $1,232.00–$95.39 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $285.04, median $644.89, highest $862.40 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $503.34. 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 7 of 14 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 6 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.