CMS Price Transparency Data

CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine)

Facility: Seattle Children's Hospital

Billing Code: 72131 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$168

about 1.6× the $107 Medicare rate · typically $97–$355

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$107

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $61 under the fair price · 1.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $107 Fair price $168 This hospital $107 Cash price $1,688 Hospital's list price $1,688

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other WA hospitals

On the higher side — 6 of 8 other WA hospitals charge less.

Cheapest $53 Priciest $112

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 WA 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 $168 (about 1.6× the $107 Medicare rate). Seattle Children's Hospital charges insurers about $107, or about $1,688 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Seattle, WA.

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

✓ 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	$30 - $2,800	28%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$28 - $2,641	26%
Aetnamajor	$107 - $3,054	100%
Cignamajor	$98 - $2,704	92%
Humanamajor	$156 - $3,023	146%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$28 - $2,386	26%
Medical Mutual	$156 - $3,023	146%
Moda Health	$107 - $3,023	100%
Molina	$28 - $2,386	26%
PacificSource	$3,054	2859%
Providence Health Plan	$98 - $2,704	92%
SelectHealth	$156 - $3,023	146%
Tufts Health Plan	$98 - $2,704	92%
+ 61 smaller / regional plans	$27 - $3,054

Government programs also on file: Medicaid.

Excludes 3 rental-network / third-party entries (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 1,688), 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 Seattle Children's Hospital 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 Seattle Children's Hospital

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

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