Peripheral bone density scan cost in Denver, CO
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 6 hospitals list a cash price for DEXA bone density scan of the wrist, heel or finger (peripheral): from $89.20 to $1,283.97, with a median of $1,283.97. The lowest listed price is at Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $1,194.77 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $422.50 at 11 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 77081, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 30, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC DEXA PERIPHERAL (WRIST) | $89.20 | $254.84 | $87.41–$1,543.87 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=DEXA 1+ SITES APPENDICULAR SKELETON | $422.50 | $650.00 | $65.00–$598.00 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC DEXA,BONE DENSITY, 1 + SITE, APPENDICULR SKELTN | $1,283.97 | $1,283.97 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC DEXA,BONE DENSITY, 1 + SITE, APPENDICULR SKELTN | $1,283.97 | $1,283.97 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC DEXA,BONE DENSITY, 1 + SITE, APPENDICULR SKELTN | $1,283.97 | $1,283.97 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC DEXA,BONE DENSITY, 1 + SITE, APPENDICULR SKELTN | $1,283.97 | $1,283.97 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $89.20, median $1,283.97, highest $1,283.97 — a 14.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $1,283.97. 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 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 code covers a bone density test of the wrist, heel or finger, used for screening when a hip and spine scan is not available.
What the price covers
The price covers the scan and the reading.