CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine)
Facility: Medstar Washington Hospital Center
Billing Code: 72131 (CPT)
One of the lower prices — 1 of 3 other DC hospitals charge more for the same procedure.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 4 DC hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.
⚠ The cash price looks unusually high next to the insurance price — it may be the full list price, not a real cash discount. Call to confirm the self-pay rate.
A fair price for a CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine) is about $252 (about 2.4× the $107 Medicare rate). Medstar Washington Hospital Center charges insurers about $230, or about $1,778 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Washington, DC.
What each insurance company pays
Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.
6 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital
Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.
| Insurance company | Price range | vs. Medicare |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcaremajor | $124 - $793 | 116% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $124 - $1,308 | 116% |
| Aetnamajor | $127 - $811 | 119% |
| Cignamajor | $1,244 | 1165% |
| Humanamajor | $130 | 122% |
| Kaiser Permanentemajor | $130 - $1,368 | 122% |
| Amerigroup | $230 | 215% |
| AmeriHealth | $230 | 215% |
| + 3 smaller / regional plans | $130 - $766 |
Self-Pay How to get the cash price
Insurance Before you use insurance
Estimate your out-of-pocket cost
A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.
Other Procedures at Medstar Washington Hospital Center
Compare: CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine) at other DC hospitals
- Medstar Health Physical Therapy · Washington $115
- Medstar Georgetown University Hospital · Washington $230
- George Washington Univ Hospital · Washington $1,292
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.