Scans and imaging CPT 76536 Outpatient

Thyroid or neck ultrasound cost in Austin, TX

In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 28 hospitals list a cash price for ultrasound of the soft tissues of the head and neck, such as the thyroid: from $121.50 to $1,797.00, with a median of $644.89. The lowest listed price is at Ascension Seton Hays and 1 other hospital — $523.39 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $630.55 at 292 hospitals.

  • The median here, $644.89, is 21% above the US median of $533.38.
  • That is 6.0× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($106.81).
  • Austin, TX ranks 2nd of 4 metro areas in Texas by median, cheapest first.
  • 10 of 28 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

Cash prices at 28 facilities across 14 cities for code 76536, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 11, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 2, 2024 and Oct 30, 2026.

Lowest$121.50Ascension Seton Hays + 1 more
Median$644.89half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,797.00in this market
Difference14.8×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

median
Lowest $121.50Highest $1,797.00

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash priceList priceInsurers payOff list
Ascension Seton Hays lowest Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 US HEAD/NCK OTHER PEDI+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $121.50 $337.50 $92.52–$158.85 64%
Ascension Seton Smithville lowest Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 US HEAD/NCK OTHER PEDI+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $121.50 $337.50 $92.52–$158.85 64%
The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center Austin, TX · (512) 327-0000 US SOFT TISSUE HEAD NECK REAL TIME IMGE DOCM File of Sep 2, 2024 · source file $218.55 $680.21 $98.34–$559.05 68%
Ascension Seton Austin, TX EDUS EXAM HEAD/NECK+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $236.25 $337.50 $92.52–$158.85 30%
Ascension Seton Edgar B Davis Luling, TX · (830) 875-7000 EDUS EXAM HEAD/NECK+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $260.64 $724.00 $92.52–$693.07 64%
Ascension Seton Edgar B Davis Luling, TX · (830) 875-7000 US THYROID+3 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $277.83 $771.75 $92.52–$693.07 64%
St.davids Surgical Hospital Austin, TX US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $323.00 $323.00 $222.87 —
Ascension Seton Smithville Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 US THYROID+3 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $417.06 $1,158.50 $92.52–$866.34 64%
Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin Austin, TX · (512) 324-1000 US THYROID+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $417.06 $1,158.50 $92.52–$866.34 64%
Ascension Seton Northwest Austin, TX · (512) 324-6000 US THYROID+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $417.06 $1,158.50 $92.52–$866.34 64%
Ascension Seton Hays Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 US HEAD/NCK OTHER+3 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $417.06 $1,158.50 $92.52–$866.34 64%
Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Tx Austin, TX · (512) 324-7000 US HEAD/NCK OTHER+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $417.06 $1,158.50 $92.52–$866.34 64%
Ascension Seton Southwest Austin, TX · (512) 324-9000 US THYROID+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $417.06 $1,158.50 $92.52–$866.34 64%
Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC US, HEAD AND NECK File of Mar 5, 2026 · source file $493.79 $737.00 $104.75–$700.15 33%
Ascension Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX · (512) 528-7000 US-HEAD NECK SFT TIS+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $586.43 $1,628.97 $92.52–$866.34 64%
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD OR NECK File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file $644.89 $1,074.81 $99.77–$967.33 40%
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD OR NECK File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file $644.89 $1,074.81 $99.77–$806.11 40%
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD OR NECK File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file $644.89 $1,074.81 $99.77–$967.33 40%
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD OR NECK File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file $644.89 $1,074.81 $99.77–$967.33 40%
Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD OR NECK File of Jun 3, 2026 · source file $644.89 $1,074.81 $110.27–$698.63 40%
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD OR NECK File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file $644.89 $1,074.81 $99.77–$806.11 40%
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD OR NECK File of Oct 30, 2026 · source file $670.68 $1,117.80 $141.23–$894.24 40%
Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC ULTRASOUND, SOFT TISSUE HEAD/NECK+1 more line at this price File of Mar 5, 2026 · source file $722.93 $1,079.00 $104.75–$1,025.05 33%
Cornerstone Specialty Hospitals Round Rock Round Rock, TX US HEAD/NECK SOFT TISSUE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file $780.00 $780.00 — —
Ascension Seton Austin, TX US HEAD/NCK OTHER+3 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file $810.95 $1,158.50 $92.52–$866.34 30%
St. David's Medical Center Manor, TX · (512) 476-7111 US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $957.00 $957.00 $47.85–$861.30 —
Heart Hosp of Austin at St. David's Round Rock Round Rock, TX US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $967.00 $967.00 $651.76 —
Heart Hosp of Austin Austin, TX US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $967.00 $967.00 $48.35–$821.95 —
St. David's Georgetown Hospital Georgetown, TX · (512) 476-7111 US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $967.00 $967.00 $48.35–$821.95 —
St. David's North Austin Medical Center Austin, TX · (512) 901-1000 US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $1,168.00 $1,168.00 $805.92 —
Pam Specialty Hospital of Luling Luling, TX US Exam of Head and Neck File of Aug 6, 2026 · source file $1,219.70 $1,219.70 $70.12–$1,097.73 —
St. David's South Austin Medical Center Bastrop, TX · (512) 448-7107 US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $1,698.00 $1,698.00 $832.02 —
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Leander, TX · (512) 341-1000 US HEAD AND NECK File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file $1,797.00 $1,797.00 $1,211.18 —
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. More
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. More
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. More
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. More

Outpatient: lowest $121.50, median $644.89, highest $1,797.00 — a 14.8× difference within the same market.

As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 19 facilities here, median $586.43. 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 17 of 27 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 thyroid or neck ultrasound is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Thyroid or neck ultrasound explained.