Lumbar spine CT cost in Riverside, CA — inpatient
In Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, 9 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast as an inpatient: from $1,124.55 to $9,832.17, with a median of $2,431.50. The lowest listed price is at Loma Linda University Medical Center - Murrieta — $1,306.95 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $2,860.00 at 100 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 7 cities for code 72131, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 2, 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loma Linda University Medical Center - Murrieta lowest Murrieta, CA · (951) 290-4000 HC CT BONE L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,124.55 | $2,499.00 | $452.32–$1,874.25 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Apple Valley, CA · (760) 242-2311 HC CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,204.32 | $2,509.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA · (909) 558-4000 HC CT BONE L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,044.35 | $4,543.00 | $908.60–$4,088.70 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital Loma Linda, CA · (909) 558-8000 HC CT BONE L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,141.10 | $4,758.00 | $951.60–$4,044.30 | 55% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| Palo Verde Hospital Blythe, CA · (760) 922-4115 CT Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast | $2,431.50 | $3,242.00 | — | 25% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Moreno Valley Moreno Valley, CA · (951) 251-6530 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,860.00 | $5,500.00 | $119.00–$355.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fontana Fontana, CA · (909) 427-5000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,860.00 | $5,500.00 | $119.00–$355.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Riverside Riverside, CA · (951) 353-2000 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,860.00 | $5,500.00 | $119.00–$355.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Riverside University Medical Center Moreno Valley, CA · (951) 486-4000 HC CT Bone L-Spine W/O Contrast | $9,832.17 | $9,832.17 | $92.01–$9,832.17 | — | — source file |
| Riverside University Medical Center Moreno Valley, CA · (951) 486-4000 HC CT Bone L-Spine W/O Contrast | $9,832.17 | $9,832.17 | $92.01–$9,832.17 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,124.55, median $2,431.50, highest $9,832.17 — a 8.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $2,092.73 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 7 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.