DEXA bone density scan cost in Nashville, TN — inpatient
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, 4 hospitals list a cash price for DEXA bone density scan of the hip, pelvis or spine as an inpatient: from $120.64 to $224.64, with a median of $161.37. The lowest listed price is at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital — $40.73 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $119.76 at 41 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 77080, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 1, 2025.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital lowest Lebanon, TN DEXA,BONE DENSITY, 1 + SITE, AXIAL SKELETON | $120.64 | $416.00 | $23.66–$416.00 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN MAM BONE DENSITOMETRY DEXA | $161.37 | $537.90 | $41.22–$179.33 | 70% | — source file |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN MAM BONE DENSITOMETRY DPA | $161.37 | $537.90 | $41.22–$179.33 | 70% | — source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN DEXA,BONE DENSITY, 1 + SITE, AXIAL SKELETON | $224.64 | $416.00 | $23.66–$416.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN HC XR BONE DENSITY AXIAL | $231.42 | $798.00 | $51.76–$638.40 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN HC XR BONE DENSITY AXIAL | $430.92 | $798.00 | $51.36–$638.40 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $120.64, median $161.37, highest $224.64 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $161.37 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 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
A DEXA scan uses a very low dose of X-rays to measure bone density, usually at the hip and lower spine. It is used to check for osteoporosis and to judge the risk of fracture, and is commonly done for women over 65 and others at higher risk.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the scan and the report of bone density scores. The physician's interpretation may be billed separately, and adding a spine fracture check (vertebral fracture assessment) uses a different code.