CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine)
Facility: UPMC Altoona
Billing Code: 72131 (CPT)
Highest price of the 9 PA hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 PA 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 $132 (about 1.2× the $107 Medicare rate). UPMC Altoona charges insurers about $135, or about $1,406 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Altoona, PA.
What each insurance company pays
Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.
4 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 | $92 - $1,201 | 86% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $131 - $1,172 | 123% |
| Aetnamajor | $88 - $1,242 | 82% |
| Cignamajor | $1,172 | 1097% |
| AmeriHealth | $138 | 129% |
| Geisinger | $122 - $1,289 | 114% |
| HealthPartners | $133 | 125% |
| UPMC Health Plan | $97 - $1,122 | 91% |
| + 2 smaller / regional plans | $150 - $1,874 |
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 UPMC Altoona
Compare: CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine) at other PA hospitals
- Penn Highlands Connellsville · Connellsville $83
- Heritage Valley Beaver · Beaver $99
- Heritage Valley Sewickley · Sewickley $99
- Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center · Enola $103
- Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center · Lancaster $104
- Allegheny Valley Hospital · Natrona $106
- Uniontown Hospital · Uniontown $106
- Allegheny General Hospital · Pittsburgh $106
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.