Peripheral bone density scan cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for DEXA bone density scan of the wrist, heel or finger (peripheral) as an inpatient: from $37.62 to $96.60, with a median of $70.20. The lowest listed price is at Ochsner Clinic Foundation — $32.58 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $79.36 at 33 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 77081, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC DEXA BONE DENSITY APPEN SKEL | $37.62 | $171.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC DEXA BONE DENSITY APPEN SKEL | $61.04 | $218.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC DEXA BONE DENSITY APPEN SKEL | $79.36 | $248.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 DX DEXA BONE DENSITY PERIPHERL | $96.60 | $161.00 | $90.64–$161.00 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $37.62, median $70.20, highest $96.60 — a 2.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $59.85 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.