CMS Price Transparency Data

CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine)

Facility: Pawhuska Hospital, Inc

Billing Code: 72131 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price low confidence

A fair price for this

$356

about 3.3× the $107 Medicare rate · typically $149–$1,278

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$1,255

Well above the fair price

about $899 over the fair price · 11.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $107 Fair price $356 This hospital $1,255 Cash price $856 Hospital's list price $1,476

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other OK hospitals

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

Cheapest $46 Priciest $1,255

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

A fair price for a CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine) is about $356 (about 3.3× the $107 Medicare rate). Pawhuska Hospital, Inc charges insurers about $1,255, or about $856 in cash — well above the fair price. Located in Pawhuska, OK.

This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less

Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $356. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana Kaiser 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
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$856 - $1,063	801%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$770 - $1,255	721%
Aetnamajor	$856 - $1,476	801%
Cignamajor	$1,004	940%
Humanamajor	$865 - $1,476	810%
Ambetter (Centene)	$1,284	1202%
Healthcare Highways	$959	898%
WellCare	$856	801%
+ 4 smaller / regional plans	$252 - $1,476

Government programs also on file: Military & VA.

Excludes 1 rental-network / third-party entry (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

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 856), 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: 72131.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Pawhuska Hospital, Inc is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 72131.
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 Pawhuska Hospital, Inc

Compare: CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine) at other OK hospitals

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