Thyroid or neck ultrasound cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for Ultrasound of the soft tissues of the head and neck, such as the thyroid: from $82.55 to $1,069.92, with a median of $545.40. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospitals East Communities dba Mercy Hospital St Louis and 2 other hospitals — $462.85 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $538.70 at 25 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 10 cities for code 76536, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities dba Mercy Hospital St Louis lowest Saint Louis, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue Pf | $82.55 | $127.00 | $8.26–$127.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Troy, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue Pf | $82.55 | $127.00 | $126.92–$227.05 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson lowest Festus, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue Pf | $82.55 | $127.00 | $102.72–$235.61 | 35% | — source file |
| American Healthcare Systems Illinois LLC Granite City, IL US-HEAD NECK SFT TIS | $196.03 | $326.71 | $326.71 | 40% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO US EXAM OF HEAD AND NECK | $538.70 | $538.70 | $90.24–$212.68 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue | $540.80 | $832.00 | $90.66–$384.98 | 35% | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue | $550.00 | $687.50 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities dba Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue | $602.55 | $927.00 | $102.72–$235.61 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue | $611.00 | $940.00 | $126.92–$227.05 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities dba Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue | $636.35 | $979.00 | $90.66–$384.98 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO US Head/Neck Soft Tissue | $636.35 | $979.00 | $102.72–$235.61 | 35% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Inc Greenville, IL HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD/NECK | $981.36 | $1,363.00 | $99.47–$1,363.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD/NECK | $984.96 | $1,368.00 | $220.48–$1,368.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD/NECK | $1,037.52 | $1,441.00 | $94.73–$1,441.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL HC US SOFT TISSUE HEAD/NECK | $1,069.92 | $1,486.00 | $94.73–$1,486.00 | 28% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $82.55, median $545.40, highest $1,069.92 — a 13.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $765.68. 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 8 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 3 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 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.