Thoracic spine CT cost in Washington, DC
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 17 hospitals list a cash price for thoracic spine (mid back) CT scan without contrast: from $119.71 to $6,677.84, with a median of $1,235.77. The lowest listed price is at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center — $1,116.06 less than the median here. Across District of Columbia, the median is $1,447.70 at 4 hospitals.
Cash prices at 17 facilities across 14 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 Apr 1, 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MedStar Montgomery Medical Center lowest Olney, MD · (301) 774-8882 BC-CT SPINE THORACIC WO CONT+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $119.71 | $122.15 | $119.71–$122.15 | 2% |
| MedStar Southern Hospital Center Clinton, MD · (301) 868-8000 BC-CT SPINE THORACIC WO CONT+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $148.46 | $151.49 | $148.46–$151.49 | 2% |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC CT THOR SPINE WO IV CONT source file | $651.50 | $1,303.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC CT THOR SPINE WO IV CONT source file | $651.50 | $1,303.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC CT THOR SPINE WO IV CONT source file | $651.50 | $1,303.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC CT THOR SPINE WO IV CONT source file | $651.50 | $1,303.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC CT THOR SPINE WO IV CONT source file | $651.50 | $1,303.00 | $106.34–$1,739.00 | 50% |
| Jefferson Medical Center Ranson, WV · (304) 728-1600 CT CHEST SPINE W/O DYE source file | $758.00 | $1,516.00 | — | 50% |
| National Rehabilitation Hospital Washington, DC CT SPINE THORACIC WO CONTRAST+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,235.77 | $1,901.19 | $302.18–$1,616.01 | 35% |
| MedStar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC · (202) 877-7000 CT SPINE THORACIC WO CONTRAST+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,396.40 | $2,148.31 | $601.53–$1,826.06 | 35% |
| Children's National Hospital Washington, DC · (202) 476-5000 CT Thoracic Spine wo Contrast source file | $1,499.00 | $2,998.00 | $98.31–$2,922.77 | 50% |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgr-Ct Thoracic Spine W / O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,608.50 | $3,217.00 | — | 50% |
| MedStar Georgetown Hospital Northwest Washington, DC · (202) 784-3000 BC CT SPINE THORACIC WO CONT+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,645.09 | $2,530.91 | $708.65–$2,277.82 | 35% |
| Fauquier Health Warrenton, VA · (540) 316-5000 Computed tomography, thoracic spine; without contrast material source file | $1,797.20 | $4,493.00 | $1,524.00 | 60% |
| Stonesprings Hospital Center Dulles, VA · (571) 349-4000 Computed tomography, thoracic spine; without contrast material +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $6,014.58 | $6,014.58 | $245.18–$5,112.39 | — |
| Reston Hospital Center Vienna, VA · (703) 689-9000 CT T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $6,128.20 | $6,128.20 | $1,164.36–$5,515.38 | — |
| Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center Fredericksburg, VA · (540) 498-4000 Computed tomography, thoracic spine; without contrast material +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $6,677.84 | $6,677.84 | $245.18–$6,010.06 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $119.71, median $1,235.77, highest $6,677.84 — a 55.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $943.64. 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 11 of 15 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.