How much a CT scan costs if you are uninsured

How much a CT scan costs without insurance

Some people call a CT scan a CAT scan. It takes X-ray pictures of the body from many angles. A computer then puts them together into thin slice pictures of the inside of your body. Doctors use it to look at many parts of the body, such as bones and organs. This page gives general information and does not replace medical advice. If you think you have an emergency, call 911 or go to the ER.

A 2021 study in JAMA Network Open collected the self-pay prices that hospitals posted online. About 1,500 to 1,600 hospitals had posted prices for the CT scans listed below. The median is the middle price when you line the hospitals up from lowest to highest. Each range below covers the middle half of the hospitals.

• A head CT without contrast had a median cash price of $1,037, and the middle half of hospitals charged between $595 and $1,525.
• A pelvis CT with contrast had a median of $1,308, with the middle half between $803 and $1,887.
• A belly and pelvis CT with contrast had a median of $2,268, with the middle half between $1,278 and $3,534.

These figures come from 2021, and only from hospitals that had posted both a cash price and an insurance price at that time. Prices today are probably different from these figures. The wide range is the main lesson, because two hospitals in the same state can charge very different amounts for the same scan.

What changes the price of a CT scan

In the study, the part of the body being scanned changed the price. A head scan was priced lower than a scan of the belly and pelvis. Several other things can also push the price up or down.

• Contrast is a dye, usually given through a vein, that makes blood vessels and organs easier to see. The FDA says some CT scans use it. Your doctor decides whether you need it, and it can change the price.
• The place where you have the scan also matters. A hospital outpatient department charges for the building and equipment on top of the scan. A freestanding imaging center, which is a business that only does scans, may charge less.
• A radiologist, the doctor who reads the pictures, often sends a separate bill for the reading.
• Scans done during an ER visit usually come with other charges, such as the ER visit fee.

Compared with a plain X-ray, a CT scan is a bigger job, so it usually costs far more. In the same 2021 study, the median cash price for a lower back X-ray was $329. The guide on X-ray costs explains that scan.

Radiation and repeat scans

According to the FDA, a CT scan uses ionizing radiation, which may cause a small increase in a person's lifetime risk of cancer. It also says that children are more sensitive to radiation than adults. A CT scan should always be done when it is medically necessary, so we never want you to skip a needed scan. We only want each scan to be needed and priced fairly.

Before a scan, the FDA encourages you to talk with your doctor about its benefits and risks. The agency also asks you to mention any past X-ray tests that you or your child have had. A short talk like this can help your wallet too, because it can keep the same picture from being taken twice. The agency sees no benefit in whole-body scans for people with no symptoms. Be careful with cheap scan offers that your own doctor did not order.

A CT scan during an emergency

In an emergency, go to the ER or call 911, and do not let cost stop you. A federal law called EMTALA says a hospital with an emergency department must give you a screening exam and stabilizing treatment. Your ability to pay does not change that. The bill comes later, and you still have options once it arrives.

After an ER visit, ask for an itemized bill, which lists each charge on its own line. Then ask whether the hospital has a financial assistance program. Our guides on the ER with no insurance and hospital financial assistance show the steps.

How to get a lower price on a planned CT scan

Planned scans give you time to shop around. Most imaging places ask for an order from a doctor or another licensed clinician, and the rules differ by place.

1. Start by asking the clinician to write the exact scan on the order, including whether it is with or without contrast.
2. Call two or three places and ask for the self-pay price and whether the radiologist's reading is included.
3. Read each hospital's online price list to find its cash price. Federal rules require hospitals to post a discounted cash price for many planned services, as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services explains.
4. Ask whether there is a discount for paying in full on the day.
5. Ask for a written estimate if you schedule at least 3 business days ahead. Our guide on the good faith estimate shows how.

Price lists are often hard to read at first. A hospital's file may show a gross charge, which is the full list price. It may also show a discounted cash price, which is the one that matters to you. Ask the scheduling desk which number applies to your scan, and ask them to say it back to you in dollars. If the two numbers are far apart, that is a good reason to compare with a second place.

A cash-pay primary care doctor can examine you and write the order if you do not have a doctor yet. That doctor may also know which local places charge less. Search for a cash-pay doctor near you to see who is close by. A direct primary care membership is not insurance, so you would still pay the imaging place yourself.