Lumbar spine CT cost in Portland, OR
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, 15 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast: from $640.50 to $1,732.25, with a median of $956.15. The lowest listed price is at Providence Portland Medical Center and 3 other hospitals — $315.65 less than the median here. Across Oregon, the median is $1,215.58 at 38 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 cities for code 72131, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 23, 2026 and Apr 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence Portland Medical Center lowest Portland, OR · (503) 215-1111 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $640.50 | $854.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Newberg Medical Center lowest Newberg, OR · (503) 537-1555 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $640.50 | $854.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center lowest Oregon City, OR · (503) 656-1631 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $640.50 | $854.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Milwaukie Hospital lowest Milwaukie, OR · (503) 513-8300 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $640.50 | $854.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Portland Medical Center lowest Portland, OR · (503) 215-1111 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $640.50 | $854.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 413-2200 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $956.15 | $1,471.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 413-2200 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $956.15 | $1,471.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center Gresham, OR · (503) 674-1122 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $956.15 | $1,471.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center Tualatin, OR · (503) 692-1212 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $956.15 | $1,471.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 413-7682 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $956.15 | $1,471.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 413-7682 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $956.15 | $1,471.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 413-2200 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $956.15 | $1,471.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Vancouver, WA · (360) 487-1000 HC SPINE LUMBAR CT WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,051.70 | $1,618.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR · (503) 494-9000 HB CT Spine Lumbar WO Contrast | $1,209.65 | $1,861.00 | $93.92–$1,861.00 | 35% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Portland Portland, OR · (541) 241-5090 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,221.50 | $1,221.50 | $92.51–$404.74 | — | — source file |
| Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center Clackamas, OR · (503) 652-2880 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,407.60 | $1,656.00 | $177.00–$570.00 | 15% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Westside Hillsboro, OR · (971) 310-0100 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,407.60 | $1,656.00 | $177.00–$570.00 | 15% | — source file |
| PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver, WA · (360) 256-2000 CT SCAN OF LOWER SPINE WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,494.35 | $2,299.00 | $46.37–$376.13 | 35% | — source file |
| PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver, WA · (360) 256-2000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,539.20 | $2,368.00 | $46.37–$376.13 | 35% | — source file |
| Tuality Healthcare Hillsboro, OR · (503) 681-1111 HB CT Spine Lumbar WO Contrast | $1,732.25 | $2,665.00 | $90.64–$2,665.00 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $640.50, median $956.15, highest $1,732.25 — a 2.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $956.15. 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 2 of 6 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
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.