How much does a CT scan, head (with contrast) typically cost in the United States?

Across 2,809 U.S. hospitals in 52 states, the modeled national fair BaseRate for CT scan, head (with contrast) is $244, with most hospital negotiated prices falling between $143 and $750.

Why do hospital prices for CT scan, head (with contrast) vary across facilities?

Commercial rates are negotiated individually between hospital systems and insurers, creating wide local dispersion even within the same metro area. Comparing facility-specific cash and in-network rates before scheduling care helps avoid overpaying.

National price data · 2,809 hospitals

CT scan, head (with contrast) cost

What a ct scan, head (with contrast) costs across the U.S. — and the fair price to aim for.

Near Fair BaseRate Benchmark

1.00×vs. Fair Market Price

Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.

86/100 · Verified

86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited

File Completeness90

Price Logic88

Peer Alignment86

Clean Billing83

Real Cash Discount84

Regional Value Leader

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

Behavioral Pricing FingerprintMedian-Gamed · High Captive Markup

Loss-Leader / Captive Ancillary Cross-Subsidizer

Metro Nashville General Hospital prices routine shoppable procedures near 0.6× Medicare (p50 0.90×) while skewing captive emergency, lab, and upper-quartile codes to 1.1× Medicare (p75 1.14×, +27% upper-tail jump). Patients scheduling elective outpatient care can capture competitive rates, but emergency and ancillary bills require strict line-item auditing.

#4 of 84 in TN · 3rd State Percentile#189 of 3,385 in U.S. · 5th National Percentile

Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

Elective shoppable care is priced 25% below peer Fair BaseRate (0.75×)
Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 9% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
4-Star CMS clinical rating with 64% patient recommendation (68/100 safety score)
Binding Good Faith Estimate rights under 45 CFR § 149.610 protect self-pay patients before scheduling

Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

Even at low-cost facilities (1.00× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
Captive ER (0.8×) & laboratory (2.2×) services average 1.83× higher multiples than routine shoppable care (0.6×)
Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 1.14×) jump +27% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 0.90×)
Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 8.3× Medicare (14¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)

Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging

0.6× Medicare

Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.

Back-Door Captive & ER1.83× Divergence

1.1× Medicare

Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.

Quantile Tail Spread+27% Upper Tail

Q25 0.26× · Q50 0.90× · Q75 1.14×

Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.

Select any lens to inspect department markups, federal cost accounting, or insurer discounts.

Department & Integrity Multiples (vs. CMS Medicare Cost Anchor) Green ≤1.3× · Teal 1.3–1.8× · Amber 1.8–2.5× · Rose >2.5×

Front-Door Shoppable CareFront-Door Shoppable

0.6× MedicareGood

Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive

0.5× MedicareGood

Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable

1.6× MedicareGood

Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive

0.8× MedicareGood

Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive

2.2× MedicareFair

Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive

0.5× MedicareGood

Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes

9% Cash Edge · 99/100Good

CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes

4 CMS · 68/100Fair

National Geographic Price Intelligence · 50-State + DC/PR Cartogram

National State Price Index Heatmap · CT scan, head (with contrast)

State commercial price index vs. U.S. median (1.00×) and average Medicare multiple across all 53 priced states & territories

<0.93× Below Fair Price 0.93–1.05× Near Average 1.05–1.18× Elevated >1.18× High-Cost State

AK1.93× 3.1× Med ME0.65× 1.1× Med WA1.52× 2.5× Med ID0.73× 1.2× Med MT0.87× 1.4× Med ND2.44× 4.0× Med MN0.96× 1.6× Med WI1.93× 3.1× Med MI0.72× 1.2× Med VT0.55× 0.9× Med NH1.74× 2.8× Med OR0.93× 1.5× Med NV1.20× 2.0× Med WY0.75× 1.2× Med SD0.76× 1.2× Med IA1.67× 2.7× Med IL0.85× 1.4× Med IN1.26× 2.1× Med OH1.03× 1.7× Med PA0.77× 1.3× Med NY0.90× 1.5× Med MA1.34× 2.2× Med CA1.03× 1.7× Med UT1.20× 2.0× Med CO1.52× 2.5× Med NE1.86× 3.0× Med MO0.91× 1.5× Med KY1.55× 2.5× Med WV0.71× 1.2× Med VA1.72× 2.8× Med MD0.69× 1.1× Med NJ1.14× 1.9× Med CT1.11× 1.8× Med AZ0.81× 1.3× Med NM1.23× 2.0× Med KS1.86× 3.0× Med AR0.88× 1.4× Med TN0.93× 1.5× Med NC0.73× 1.2× Med SC1.22× 2.0× Med DE1.04× 1.7× Med DC2.86× 4.7× Med RI1.00× 1.6× Med OK1.26× 2.0× Med LA1.24× 2.0× Med MS0.90× 1.5× Med AL0.69× 1.1× Med GA1.13× 1.8× Med HI0.90× 1.5× Med TX1.09× 1.8× Med FL1.34× 2.2× Med PR0.54× 0.9× Med

PR0.54×0.9× Med VT0.55×0.9× Med ME0.65×1.1× Med AL0.69×1.1× Med MD0.69×1.1× Med WV0.71×1.2× Med MI0.72×1.2× Med ID0.73×1.2× Med NC0.73×1.2× Med WY0.75×1.2× Med SD0.76×1.2× Med PA0.77×1.3× Med AZ0.81×1.3× Med IL0.85×1.4× Med MT0.87×1.4× Med AR0.88×1.4× Med HI0.90×1.5× Med MS0.90×1.5× Med NY0.90×1.5× Med MO0.91×1.5× Med OR0.93×1.5× Med TN0.93×1.5× Med MN0.96×1.6× Med RI1.00×1.6× Med CA1.03×1.7× Med OH1.03×1.7× Med DE1.04×1.7× Med TX1.09×1.8× Med CT1.11×1.8× Med GA1.13×1.8× Med NJ1.14×1.9× Med NV1.20×2.0× Med UT1.20×2.0× Med SC1.22×2.0× Med NM1.23×2.0× Med LA1.24×2.0× Med IN1.26×2.1× Med OK1.26×2.0× Med FL1.34×2.2× Med MA1.34×2.2× Med CO1.52×2.5× Med WA1.52×2.5× Med KY1.55×2.5× Med IA1.67×2.7× Med VA1.72×2.8× Med NH1.74×2.8× Med KS1.86×3.0× Med NE1.86×3.0× Med AK1.93×3.1× Med WI1.93×3.1× Med ND2.44×4.0× Med DC2.86×4.7× Med

5 Lowest-Price States (Confounder-Isolated Value Leaders)

PR0.54×(0.9×)VT0.55×(0.9×)ME0.65×(1.1×)AL0.69×(1.1×)MD0.69×(1.1×)

5 Highest-Markup States (Strict Bill Audit Recommended)

DC2.86×(4.7×)ND2.44×(4.0×)WI1.93×(3.1×)AK1.93×(3.1×)NE1.86×(3.0×)

The BaseRate high confidence

$244

the fair national price for a ct scan, head (with contrast)

typically $143–$750 across 2,809 hospitals · how we calculate it

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

2,809

hospitals priced

states

5.2×

price spread — where shopping matters

1.6×

vs. Medicare

Across 2,809 hospitals in 52 states, a ct scan, head (with contrast) has a fair BaseRate of $244 and typically costs $143–$750. The cheapest state is PR; the priciest is DC.

Cheapest hospitals for a ct scan, head (with contrast)

CT scan, head (with contrast) cost by state

AK $466 5 hospitals AL $168 50 hospitals AR $212 37 hospitals AZ $197 49 hospitals CA $250 226 hospitals CO $369 55 hospitals CT $268 17 hospitals DC $693 5 hospitals DE $251 8 hospitals FL $325 139 hospitals GA $274 87 hospitals HI $219 16 hospitals IA $404 71 hospitals ID $176 20 hospitals IL $205 108 hospitals IN $306 93 hospitals KS $450 78 hospitals KY $375 60 hospitals LA $300 75 hospitals MA $325 43 hospitals MD $168 2 hospitals ME $157 26 hospitals MI $174 76 hospitals MN $232 72 hospitals MO $220 72 hospitals MS $219 59 hospitals MT $210 17 hospitals NC $177 49 hospitals ND $590 16 hospitals NE $451 38 hospitals NH $422 13 hospitals NJ $275 48 hospitals NM $297 12 hospitals NV $291 22 hospitals NY $219 89 hospitals OH $249 106 hospitals OK $304 68 hospitals OR $224 36 hospitals PA $186 111 hospitals PR $130 13 hospitals RI $243 6 hospitals SC $296 41 hospitals SD $183 10 hospitals TN $224 72 hospitals TX $263 254 hospitals UT $291 28 hospitals VA $417 51 hospitals VT $132 10 hospitals WA $369 49 hospitals WI $467 78 hospitals WV $172 17 hospitals WY $181 6 hospitals

Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at U.S. Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)

Fair BaseRate™ $244

Medicare Rate $142

Self-Pay Cash Request Quote

Insurer Median $242

1. Amount on Your Bill or Quote ($) Pre-filled with U.S. Hospital Benchmark’s charged/list benchmark

2. Household Annual Income ($) Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines

3. Household Size (1–8) 2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person

Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $211 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $211

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $211).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Request Prompt-Pay Quote

Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible

Ask U.S. Hospital Benchmark's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$337 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $244 Fair BaseRate ($142 Medicare)

Your bill ($581) is $337 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($244) and 4.1× the $142 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.