Thyroid or neck ultrasound cost in Carlsbad, NM — inpatient
In Carlsbad-Artesia, NM, 2 hospitals list a cash price for ultrasound of the soft tissues of the head and neck, such as the thyroid as an inpatient: from $204.00 to $354.40, with a median of $279.20. The lowest listed price is at Artesia General Hospital — $75.20 less than the median here. Across New Mexico, the median is $458.64 at 11 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 76536, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 20, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Carlsbad-Artesia, NM.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artesia General Hospital lowest Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 76536 US SOFT TISSUE HEAD & NECK RE TIME | $204.00 | $340.00 | $98.06–$323.00 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Carlsbad Medical Center Carlsbad, NM · (575) 887-4570 US-HEAD NECK SFT TIS | $354.40 | $1,772.00 | $354.40–$1,647.96 | 80% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 CB US SFT TISS/HEAD/NECK/THYROID | $689.10 | $1,148.50 | $98.06–$1,091.08 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 US THYROID | $689.10 | $1,148.50 | $98.06–$1,091.08 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 US SFT TIS HEAD & NK | $689.10 | $1,148.50 | $98.06–$1,091.08 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $204.00, median $279.20, highest $354.40 — a 1.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $190.60 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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 ultrasound looks at the soft tissues of the neck and head, most often the thyroid, as well as salivary glands and lymph nodes. It is ordered for a lump or swelling in the neck, thyroid nodules or an abnormal thyroid test.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the exam itself. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately, and a needle biopsy of a nodule is billed under different codes.