CMS Price Transparency Data

CT scan, head (with contrast)

Facility: St James Parish Hospital

Billing Code: 70460 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$474

about 2.6× the $179 Medicare rate · typically $183–$758

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$300

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $174 under the fair price · 1.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $179 Fair price $474 This hospital $300 Cash price $555 Hospital's list price $1,109

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other LA hospitals

Highest price of the 9 LA hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $90 Priciest $300

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 LA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a CT scan, head (with contrast) is about $474 (about 2.6× the $179 Medicare rate). St James Parish Hospital charges insurers about $300, or about $555 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Lutcher, LA.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

2 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna UnitedHealthcareCignaHumanaKaiser Permanente

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
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$433 - $603	242%
Aetnamajor	$60 - $300	33%

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price (about 555), before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 70460.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm St James Parish Hospital is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70460.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at St James Parish Hospital

Compare: CT scan, head (with contrast) at other LA hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.