Lumbar spine CT cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast: from $184.23 to $3,240.50, with a median of $1,457.43. The lowest listed price is at Gateway Regional Medical Center — $1,273.20 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $1,379.95 at 23 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 10 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 Apr 24, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Regional Medical Center lowest Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 CT-LUMB SPINE WO | $184.23 | $307.05 | $307.05 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 CT Lumbar Spine WO Cont Pf | $193.05 | $297.00 | $19.31–$297.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 CT Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $812.50 | $1,250.00 | $90.66–$289.28 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO CT Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $924.30 | $1,422.00 | $102.72–$235.61 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO CT Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $924.30 | $1,422.00 | $90.66–$289.28 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO CT Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $1,379.95 | $2,123.00 | $261.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 CT Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $1,422.85 | $2,189.00 | $126.92–$139.62 | 35% | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 CT Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast | $1,534.90 | $1,918.62 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC CT L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,164.32 | $3,006.00 | $92.49–$3,006.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC CT L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,355.84 | $3,272.00 | $97.12–$3,272.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC CT L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,537.28 | $3,524.00 | $215.26–$3,524.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC CT L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,685.60 | $3,730.00 | $92.49–$3,730.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 432-3600 CT LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $3,240.50 | $3,240.50 | $90.66–$261.36 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $184.23, median $1,457.43, highest $3,240.50 — a 17.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $2,205.13. 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 6 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.