Lumbar spine CT cost in New York

In New York, 100 hospitals publish a cash price for CT scan of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast: from $151.01 to $4,252.00, with a median of $885.73. The lowest price is at Geneva General Hospital (Geneva) and 1 other hospital. The highest price is 28.2× the lowest.

• The median here, $885.73, is 37% below the US median of $1,397.59.
• That is 8.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($106.81).
• New York ranks 10th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
• 33 of 100 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

New York law (Public Health Law §2807-k(9-a), as amended in October 2024): uninsured patients with income below 200% of the federal poverty level owe nothing for emergency and medically necessary hospital care; up to 400% they pay on a sliding scale of at most 10% or 20% of what Medicaid would pay. Emergency care is covered for New York residents, other care for people living in the hospital's service area; immigration status does not count. Ask for the Uniform Hospital Financial Assistance form. 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 11, 2026. See them on a map