Peripheral bone density scan cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 9 hospitals list a cash price for DEXA bone density scan of the wrist, heel or finger (peripheral): from $83.85 to $639.36, with a median of $169.65. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital South — $85.80 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $162.50 at 21 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 7 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 — 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital South lowest Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Xr DXA Bone Density Appendicular | $83.85 | $129.00 | $8.39–$129.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Xr DXA Bone Density Appendicular | $146.90 | $226.00 | $85.51–$108.96 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Xr DXA Bone Density Appendicular | $152.75 | $235.00 | $176.00–$201.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 432-3600 DXA BONE DENSITY APPENDICULR | $161.30 | $161.30 | $25.64–$176.10 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Xr DXA Bone Density Appendicular | $169.65 | $261.00 | $16.97–$261.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Xr DXA Bone Density Appendicular | $202.80 | $312.00 | $47.51–$115.59 | 35% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC BONE DENSITY PERIPHERAL | $308.16 | $428.00 | $32.45–$428.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC BONE DENSITY PERIPHERAL | $387.36 | $538.00 | $68.34–$538.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC BONE DENSITY PERIPHERAL | $639.36 | $888.00 | $71.76–$888.00 | 28% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $83.85, median $169.65, highest $639.36 — a 7.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $387.36. 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 7 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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 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.