Lumbar spine CT cost in Brownsville, TX
In Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, 1 hospital lists a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast: from $15,962.67 to $15,962.67, with a median of $15,962.67. Across Texas, the median is $2,253.73 at 222 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 72131, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Regional Medical Center Brownsville, TX · (956) 350-7000 CT L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $15,962.67 | $15,962.67 | $1,117.39–$13,568.27 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $15,962.67, median $15,962.67, highest $15,962.67.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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
This CT scan shows the bones of the lower back in detail. It is used after injuries and when an MRI is not possible.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the scan. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 72131 ($1,356.60). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Harlingen Medical Center Harlingen, TXCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST - 72131 - 407003065 | $104.00 | file |
| Harlingen Medical Center Harlingen, TXCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST - 72131 - 416703065 | $104.00 | file |