Scans and imaging CPT 72131 Outpatient

Lumbar spine CT cost in Truckee, CA

In Truckee-Grass Valley, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast: from $2,380.00 to $2,380.00, with a median of $2,380.00. Across California, the median is $2,860.00 at 99 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility 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 Jul 6, 2026 and Jul 6, 2026.

Lowest$2,380.00Tahoe Forest Hospital
Median$2,380.00half pay less
Highest$2,380.00in this market
Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Tahoe Forest Hospital Truckee, CA · (530) 587-6011 CT scan of lower spine without contrast $2,380.00 $2,380.00 $164.21–$2,308.60 — Jul 6, 2026
source file

Outpatient: lowest $2,380.00, median $2,380.00, highest $2,380.00.

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.