Peripheral bone density scan cost in Washington, DC
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 12 hospitals list a cash price for DEXA bone density scan of the wrist, heel or finger (peripheral): from $97.16 to $365.36, with a median of $269.00. The lowest listed price is at Frederick Health Hospital — $171.84 less than the median here. Across District of Columbia, the median is $274.68 at 2 hospitals.
- The median here, $269.00, is 40% above the US median of $192.36.
- That is 3.0× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($88.91).
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 11 cities for code 77081, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 17, 2025 and Jul 14, 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frederick Health Hospital lowest Frederick, MD · (240) 566-3300 XR DEXA PERIPHERAL File of Mar 17, 2025 · source file | $97.16 | $99.14 | $97.16–$99.14 | 2% |
| Fauquier Health Warrenton, VA · (540) 316-5000 Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bone density study, 1 or more sites; appendicular skeleton (peripheral) (eg, radius, wrist, heel) File of Jul 14, 2026 · source file | $139.60 | $349.00 | $509.00 | 60% |
| MedStar Southern Hospital Center Clinton, MD · (301) 868-8000 BC-DXA BONE DENSITY/PERIPHERAL+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $159.36 | $162.61 | $159.36–$162.61 | 2% |
| MedStar Georgetown Hospital Northwest Washington, DC · (202) 784-3000 DEXA RAD WRST HEEL+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $183.99 | $283.06 | $79.26–$254.75 | 35% |
| MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Olney, MD · (301) 774-8882 BC-DXA BONE DENSITY/PERIPHERAL+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $227.70 | $232.35 | $227.70–$232.35 | 2% |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC DXA 1+ SITES APPNDCLR SKELETON File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $269.00 | $538.00 | $88.05–$419.64 | 50% |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC DXA 1+ SITES APPNDCLR SKELETON File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $269.00 | $538.00 | $88.05–$419.64 | 50% |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC DXA 1+ SITES APPNDCLR SKELETON File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $269.00 | $538.00 | $88.05–$419.64 | 50% |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC DXA 1+ SITES APPNDCLR SKELETON File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $269.00 | $538.00 | $88.05–$419.64 | 50% |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC DXA 1+ SITES APPNDCLR SKELETON File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $269.00 | $538.00 | $88.05–$419.64 | 50% |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chg - Bone Density Study-Peripheral+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $331.50 | $663.00 | — | 50% |
| MedStar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC · (202) 877-7000 BC DXA BONE DENSITY PERIPHERAL+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $365.36 | $562.09 | $80.70–$477.78 | 35% |
Outpatient: lowest $97.16, median $269.00, highest $365.36 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $269.00. 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 11 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 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 peripheral bone density scan is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Peripheral bone density scan explained.