Thoracic spine CT cost in Pittsburgh, PA — inpatient
In Pittsburgh, PA, 19 hospitals list a cash price for thoracic spine (mid back) CT scan without contrast as an inpatient: from $501.26 to $3,223.80, with a median of $1,361.40. The lowest listed price is at Heritage Valley Beaver — $860.14 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $1,220.34 at 92 hospitals.
Cash prices at 19 facilities across 12 cities for code 72128, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 2, 2026 and Aug 6, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Valley Beaver lowest Beaver, PA · (412) 728-7000 CT Spine W/O Dye | $501.26 | $501.26 | $125.32–$426.07 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Armstrong County Memorial Hospital Kittanning, PA CT THORACIC SPINE, UNENHANCED | $567.90 | $1,893.00 | $1,703.70 | 70% | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Washington Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 CT DORS. SPINE W/O | $768.03 | $1,280.05 | $896.03 | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 CT T SPINE W/O CONT | $772.20 | $1,287.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 CT DORSAL SPINE WO/CONTRAST | $772.20 | $1,287.00 | $579.15 | 40% | — source file |
| Forbes Hospital Monroeville, PA · (412) 858-2000 HC CT THOR SPINE WO CNTRST | $1,082.64 | $1,388.00 | $108.21–$286.29 | 22% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| Canonsburg General Hospital Canonsburg, PA · (724) 745-6100 HC CT THOR SPINE WO CNTRST | $1,082.64 | $1,388.00 | $108.21–$286.29 | 22% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| AHN Wexford Hospital Wexford, PA · (412) 295-3319 HC CT THOR SPINE WO CNTRST | $1,084.10 | $1,465.00 | $155.63–$286.29 | 26% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| West Penn Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 578-5000 HC CT THOR SPINE WO CNTRST | $1,125.66 | $1,542.00 | $155.63–$286.29 | 27% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $1,361.40 | $2,269.00 | $1,701.75–$1,996.72 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $1,740.00 | $2,900.00 | $756.90–$2,465.00 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $1,795.80 | $2,993.00 | $1,077.48–$2,783.49 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $1,810.20 | $3,017.00 | $1,046.90–$2,564.45 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $1,863.00 | $3,105.00 | $1,055.70–$2,484.00 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $1,950.00 | $3,250.00 | $994.50–$2,925.00 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $2,020.20 | $3,367.00 | $1,212.12–$3,097.64 | 40% | — source file |
| PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Pittsburgh Oakdale, PA CT Spine W/O Dye | $2,048.00 | $2,048.00 | $593.92–$1,740.80 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $2,937.00 | $4,895.00 | $3,181.75–$4,160.75 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 CT THORACIC SPINE WO CON | $3,223.80 | $5,373.00 | $2,149.20–$4,835.70 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $501.26, median $1,361.40, highest $3,223.80 — a 6.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 18 facilities here, median $1,243.53 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 of 18 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 4 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.