Lumbar spine CT cost in California

In California, 205 hospitals publish a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast: from $156.00 to $21,070.70, with a median of $2,860.00. The lowest price is at County of Monterey (Salinas). The highest price is 135.1× the lowest.

• The median here, $2,860.00, is 105% above the US median of $1,397.59.
• That is 26.8× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($106.81).
• California ranks 49th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
• 61 of 205 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 72131. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map