Scans and imaging CPT 72131 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Lumbar spine CT cost in Sterling, IL — inpatient

In Sterling, IL, 1 hospital lists a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast as an inpatient: from $2,403.50 to $2,403.50, with a median of $2,403.50. Across Illinois, the median is $2,249.60 at 107 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility for code 72131, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.

Lowest$2,403.50Morrison Community Hospital

Median$2,403.50half of hospitals charge less

Highest$2,403.50in this market

Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Hospitals, cheapest first

Hospital	Cash price	List price	Insurers pay	Off list
Morrison Community Hospital Morrison, IL · (815) 772-4003 CT- LUMBAR SPINE NO CONTR source file	$2,403.50	$2,403.50	$806.00–$2,403.50	—

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.

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.

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.

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.

Inpatient: lowest $2,403.50, median $2,403.50, highest $2,403.50.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $2,403.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

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.