Lumbar spine CT cost in New York, NY
In New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, 57 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast: from $140.12 to $5,441.00, with a median of $727.32. The lowest listed price is at University Hospital — $587.20 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $885.73 at 100 hospitals.
- The median here, $727.32, is 48% below the US median of $1,397.59.
- That is 6.8× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($106.81).
- New York, NY ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in New York by median, cheapest first.
- 17 of 57 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 57 facilities across 41 cities for code 72131, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 8, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 22, 2025 and Sep 28, 2026.
Lowest$140.12University Hospital
Median$727.32half of hospitals charge less
Highest$5,441.00in this market
Difference38.8×highest vs lowest
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 York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
median
Lowest $140.12Highest $5,441.00
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospital lowest Newark, NJ · (973) 972-4300 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL File of Aug 13, 2026 · source file | $140.12 | $749.09 | $121.84–$711.64 | 81% |
| Overlook Medical Center Summit, NJ · (908) 522-2000 CT Spine Lumb WO+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $141.90 | $2,328.00 | — | 94% |
| Chilton Medical Center Pompton Plains, NJ · (973) 831-5000 CT Spine Lumb WO+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $141.90 | $3,518.00 | — | 96% |
| Morristown Medical Center Morristown, NJ · (973) 971-5450 CT Spine Lumb WO+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $141.90 | $2,367.00 | — | 94% |
| Englewood Health Englewood, NJ · (201) 894-3000 CT Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast Material File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $208.00 | $2,080.00 | $152.05–$1,664.00 | 90% |
| St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center Smithtown, NY · (631) 862-3000 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CON File of Feb 19, 2026 · source file | $250.00 | $2,400.00 | $18.05–$2,400.00 | 90% |
| Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center Brooklyn, NY HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST File of Aug 1, 2026 · source file | $262.99 | $283.00 | $113.54–$591.72 | 7% |
| Interfaith Medical Center Brooklyn, NY HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST File of Aug 1, 2026 · source file | $262.99 | $283.00 | $113.54–$591.72 | 7% |
| Brookdale Hospital Medical Center Brooklyn, NY · (718) 240-5966 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST File of Aug 1, 2026 · source file | $262.99 | $283.00 | $113.54–$591.72 | 7% |
| BronxCare Hospital Center - Fulton Campus Bronx, NY · (212) 588-7000 LUMBAR SPINE CT WITHOUT CONT File of May 5, 2026 · source file | $289.61 | $289.61 | $68.39–$448.43 | — |
| Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center - Concourse Division Bronx, NY · (212) 588-7000 LUMBAR SPINE CT WITHOUT CONT File of Apr 17, 2026 · source file | $289.61 | $289.61 | $68.39–$448.43 | — |
| Trinitas Regional Medical Center Elizabeth, NJ · (908) 994-5000 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $392.85 | $2,093.00 | $68.62–$1,334.70 | 81% |
| Chsli St Joseph Hospital Bethpage, NY · (516) 759-6000 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CON File of Feb 19, 2026 · source file | $413.49 | $2,400.00 | $123.32–$2,400.00 | 83% |
| Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center West Islip, NY · (631) 376-3000 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CON File of Feb 19, 2026 · source file | $413.49 | $2,400.00 | $123.32–$2,400.00 | 83% |
| Mercy Medical Center Rockville Centre, NY · (516) 705-2525 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CON File of Feb 19, 2026 · source file | $413.49 | $2,400.00 | $123.32–$2,400.00 | 83% |
| St. Francis Hospital Roslyn, NY HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CON File of Feb 19, 2026 · source file | $413.49 | $2,400.00 | $123.32–$2,400.00 | 83% |
| Community Medical Center Toms River, NJ · (732) 557-8000 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $434.08 | $2,093.00 | $116.22–$1,914.88 | 79% |
| Jersey City Medical Center Jersey City, NJ · (201) 915-2000 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $434.92 | $2,093.00 | $88.80–$1,899.81 | 79% |
| Flushing Hospital Medical Center Flushing, NY · (718) 670-5000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Mar 25, 2026 · source file | $445.00 | $445.00 | $78.16–$1,912.00 | — |
| Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Jamaica, NY · (718) 262-6000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Mar 25, 2026 · source file | $445.00 | $445.00 | $78.16–$1,912.00 | — |
| Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch, NJ · (732) 222-5200 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $457.94 | $2,093.00 | $117.70–$2,024.14 | 78% |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway Rahway, NJ · (732) 381-4200 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $474.84 | $3,681.00 | $116.22–$3,077.00 | 87% |
| Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark, NJ · (973) 926-7000 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $497.42 | $2,388.00 | $70.63–$2,228.72 | 79% |
| Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus Lakewood, NJ · (732) 363-1900 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 3, 2026 · source file | $497.50 | $2,093.00 | $116.22–$2,032.51 | 76% |
| Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Livingston, NJ · (973) 322-5000 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $506.01 | $2,388.00 | $119.31–$2,029.80 | 79% |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ · (732) 828-3000 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $509.36 | $2,388.00 | $123.03–$1,986.81 | 79% |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset Somerville, NJ · (908) 685-2200 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $622.08 | $3,681.00 | $72.65–$3,367.37 | 83% |
| The Valley Hospital Paramus, NJ · (201) 447-8000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O C.M. File of May 6, 2026 · source file | $684.00 | $1,140.00 | $124.20–$855.00 | 40% |
| NYU Langone Hospital - Suffolk Patchogue, NY · (631) 654-7100 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $727.32 | $3,828.00 | $66.00–$3,985.88 | 81% |
| Clara Maass Medical Center Belleville, NJ · (973) 450-2000 HC CT L-Spine W/O Contrast File of Mar 4, 2026 · source file | $732.15 | $3,681.00 | $119.31–$3,513.88 | 80% |
| NYU Langone – Orthopedic Hospital New York, NY HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $757.32 | $3,985.88 | $66.00–$3,985.88 | 81% |
| NYU Langone Mineola, NY HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $757.32 | $3,985.88 | $66.00–$3,985.88 | 81% |
| NYU Langone Brooklyn, NY HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $757.32 | $3,985.88 | $66.00–$3,985.88 | 81% |
| NYU Langone – Tisch Hospital New York, NY · (212) 263-7300 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $757.32 | $3,985.88 | $66.00–$3,985.88 | 81% |
| Montefiore Medical Center Bronx, NY · (718) 920-4321 CHG CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL+1 more line at this price File of Sep 28, 2026 · source file | $832.69 | $1,273.23 | $41.23–$763.94 | 35% |
| Nassau University Medical Center East Meadow, NY · (516) 572-0123 Ct Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Oct 28, 2025 · source file | $834.61 | $1,192.29 | $89.08–$1,251.00 | 30% |
| Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital Mount Vernon, NY · (914) 664-8000 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE W O DYE File of Sep 28, 2026 · source file | $1,411.80 | $2,172.00 | $130.50–$2,189.01 | 35% |
| University Hospital of Brooklyn Brooklyn, NY · (718) 270-1000 72131 - CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Apr 22, 2025 · source file | $1,423.00 | $1,423.00 | $95.00–$1,171.00 | — |
| Mount Sinai Morningside New York, NY HC CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,530.00 | $1,700.00 | — | 10% |
| The Mount Sinai Hospital New York, NY · (212) 241-7981 HC CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,530.00 | $1,700.00 | — | 10% |
| Mount Sinai Brooklyn Brooklyn, NY · (212) 420-2000 HC CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,530.00 | $1,700.00 | — | 10% |
| Mount Sinai Queens Long Island, NY HC CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,530.00 | $1,700.00 | — | 10% |
| St Johns Episcopal Hospital Far Rockaway, NY · (718) 869-7000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Apr 7, 2026 · source file | $1,584.64 | $1,864.28 | $84.00–$725.00 | 15% |
| Maimonides Medical Center Brooklyn, NY · (718) 283-6000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,599.00 | $1,599.00 | — | — |
| New York Community Hospital of Brooklyn Brooklyn, NY · (718) 692-5302 CT LUMB SPINE W/O CONT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2,043.13 | $2,043.13 | — | — |
| Good Samaritan Hospital Suffern, NY · (914) 368-5000 CT Spine Stereotactic File of Jun 29, 2026 · source file | $2,089.00 | $2,089.00 | $130.50–$8,312.65 | — |
| St Johns Riverside Hospital Park Care Pavillion Yonkers, NY · (914) 964-4444 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Mar 27, 2026 · source file | $2,448.85 | $2,881.00 | $110.38–$3,783.00 | 15% |
| Brooklyn Hospital Center at Downtown Campus Brooklyn, NY · (718) 250-8000 CT SCAN OF LOWER SPINE WITHOUT CONTRAST File of Jul 27, 2026 · source file | $2,505.53 | $2,505.53 | $103.89–$633.00 | — |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases New York, NY HC CT Scan,Lumbar Spine,W/O Contrast - CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $2,540.00 | $2,540.00 | $353.41–$2,286.00 | — |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases Basking Ridge, NJ HC CT Scan,Lumbar Spine,W/O Contrast - CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $2,540.00 | $2,540.00 | $941.00–$2,286.00 | — |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases Middletown, NJ HC CT Scan,Lumbar Spine,W/O Contrast - CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $2,540.00 | $2,540.00 | $941.00–$2,286.00 | — |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases West Harrison, NY HC CT Scan,Lumbar Spine,W/O Contrast - CT Lumbar Spine WO Contrast File of Dec 1, 2025 · source file | $2,540.00 | $2,540.00 | $353.41–$2,286.00 | — |
| Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Southampton, NY CT SCAN OF LOWER SPINE WITHOUT CONTRAST File of Jun 17, 2026 · source file | $2,540.74 | $2,540.74 | $129.86–$1,832.00 | — |
| Stony Brook University Hospital Stony Brook, NY · (631) 444-4000 CT SCAN OF LOWER SPINE WITHOUT CONTRAST File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $2,541.00 | $2,541.00 | $129.86–$4,255.00 | — |
| Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Southampton, NY CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jun 17, 2026 · source file | $2,718.59 | $2,718.59 | $129.86–$1,832.00 | — |
| Stony Brook University Hospital Stony Brook, NY · (631) 444-4000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $2,719.00 | $2,719.00 | $129.86–$4,255.00 | — |
| Brooklyn Hospital Center at Downtown Campus Brooklyn, NY · (718) 250-8000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jul 27, 2026 · source file | $2,868.58 | $2,868.58 | $103.89–$633.00 | — |
| Westchester Medical Center Valhalla, NY · (914) 493-7000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Jul 28, 2026 · source file | $3,236.00 | $3,236.00 | $130.50–$5,623.00 | — |
| Hudson Regional Hospital Secaucus, NJ · (201) 392-3200 CT scan of lower spine without contrast File of Sep 23, 2026 · source file | $4,090.40 | $4,090.40 | $174.35–$7,718.58 | — |
| Saint Peters University Hospital New Brunswick, NJ · (732) 745-8600 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Nov 19, 2025 · source file | $5,441.00 | $5,560.00 | $117.00–$5,560.00 | 2% |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Outpatient: lowest $140.12, median $727.32, highest $5,441.00 — a 38.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 29 facilities here, median $757.32. 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 39 of 48 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 lumbar spine CT is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lumbar spine CT explained.
32 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 72131 ($1,377.00). 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.
| Hospital | Cash price | File |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Medical Center Brick, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $106.34 | file |
| JFK University Medical Center Edison, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $106.34 | file |
| St Joseph's Hospital, Yonkers Yonkers, NYCt lumbar spine w/o dye | $106.81 | file |
| St Joseph's Hospital, Yonkers Yonkers, NYCAT SCAN OF LOWER SPINE | $106.81 | file |
| St Joseph's Hospital, Yonkers Yonkers, NYCT Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast | $106.81 | file |
| Newton Medical Center Newton, NJCT Spine Lumb WO | $116.20 | file |
| Newton Medical Center Newton, NJCT Spine Lumb WO | $116.20 | file |
| Southern Ocean Medical Center Manahawkin, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $116.22 | file |
| Ocean Medical Center Brick, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $116.22 | file |
| Riverview Medical Center Red Bank, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $117.70 | file |
| Jersey Shore University Medical Center Neptune City, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $117.70 | file |
| Bayshore Medical Center Holmdel, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $117.70 | file |
| Old Bridge Medical Center Old Bridge, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $117.81 | file |
| Raritan Bay Medical Center Perth Amboy, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $117.81 | file |
| JFK University Medical Center Edison, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $117.81 | file |
| Saint Marys Hospital Passaic, NJHc Ct Scan Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $123.00 | file |
| Palisades Medical Center North Bergen, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $125.23 | file |
| Hackensack University Medical Center Hackensack, NJCT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $125.23 | file |
| Woodhull Medical & Mental Health Center Brooklyn, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Metropolitan Hospital Center New York, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Queens Hospital Center Jamaica, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Jacobi Medical Center Bronx, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| South Brooklyn Health Brooklyn, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Kings County Hospital Center Brooklyn, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Elmhurst Hospital Center Broadway Elmhurst, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| North Central Bronx Hospital Bronx, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center Bronx, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Bellevue Hospital Center New York, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| Harlem Hospital Center New York, NYHC CT LUMBAR SPINE WITHOUT DYE | $125.84 | file |
| CentraState Medical Center Freehold Township, NJCT Spine Lumb WO | $135.36 | file |
| CentraState Medical Center Freehold Township, NJCT Spine Lumb WO | $135.36 | file |
| Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center Montclair, NJCT scan of lower spine without contrast | $137.20 | file |
File Link to the hospital's own price file.