# CT scan, lower back spine, without contrast in GA

Billing code `72131`. Prices for this code at 113 hospitals in GA, taken from the machine-readable standard charge files each hospital is required to publish under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule (45 CFR 180.50).

Source page: https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/ct-scan-lower-back-spine-without-contrast

HC CT SCAN,LUMBAR SPINE,W/O CONTRAST - CT LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST

## Before quoting any figure below

- **Hospital charges only.** The surgeon, anaesthetist, radiologist and pathologist bill separately and appear in no hospital price file, by construction. Every figure below is part of a total, never the total.
- **A negotiated rate is not a bill.** It is what a hospital and an insurer agreed. What a patient owes depends on their deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket maximum.
- **Each hospital's figure is a median across its own plans.** The spread inside one hospital is often wider than the gap between two of them.
- **"not mentioned" is not $0.** It means this hospital's file does not label a row that way. Silence is not a statement that the charge does not exist.
- **A hospital absent from the table says nothing about its prices.** It may publish this code under a revenue or drug code this site cannot map to a procedure.

A procedure code is billed twice -- once by the hospital for its own costs, once by the doctor for their work -- and hospitals publish different sides of that split under the same code. Of the hospitals here, 47 publish a facility charge; 8 publish both, mixed together; 58 do not label which half the figure is.

## Typical price

|  | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cheapest tenth | $108 |
| Typical | $410 |
| Dearest tenth | $1,470 |

The cheapest and dearest tenth are the hospitals a tenth of the way in from each end, not the single cheapest and dearest. Every hospital, including both extremes, is in the table below.

That is a 14-fold difference for the same billing code -- a gap between hospitals, not between treatments.

## Every hospital publishing this code

| Hospital | Where | CMS rating | Typical | Facility charge | Physician fee | Self-pay | Lowest | Highest | Plans on file |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Health University Medical Center | SAVANNAH | 1/5 | $84 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $6,020 | $25 | $5,418 | 183 |
| Jasper Memorial Hospital | MONTICELLO | not rated | $85 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $652 | $54 | $90 | 19 |
| Grady Memorial Hospital | ATLANTA | 2/5 | see split | $707 | $77 | $4,538 | $45 | $3,630 | 120 |
| Optim Medical Center - Screven | SYLVANIA | not rated | $93 | $93 | not mentioned | $1,361 | $92 | $252 | 14 |
| SGMC Health Lanier | LAKELAND | not rated | $93 | $93 | not mentioned | $506 | $92 | $137 | 3 |
| Northeast Georgia Medical Center Habersham | DEMOREST | 3/5 | $96 | $96 | not mentioned | $1,031 | $92 | $638 | 7 |
| St Francis Hospital- Emory Healthcare | COLUMBUS | 3/5 | $96 | $96 | not mentioned | not published | $62 | $579 | 11 |
| Emory Houston Hospital Warner Robins | WARNER ROBINS | 2/5 | $98 | $98 | not mentioned | $1,275 | $94 | $383 | 9 |
| SGMC Health | VALDOSTA | 2/5 | $100 | $100 | not mentioned | $506 | $72 | $119 | 4 |
| Northeast Georgia Medical Center | GAINESVILLE | 3/5 | $107 | $107 | not mentioned | $1,031 | $103 | $525 | 6 |
| Tanner Medical Center - Carrollton | CARROLLTON | 2/5 | $107 | $107 | not mentioned | $981 | $104 | $115 | 10 |
| Southern Regional Medical Center | RIVERDALE | 1/5 | $107 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $104 | $99 | $3,425 | 41 |
| NGMC Barrow | WINDER | 4/5 | $109 | $109 | not mentioned | $1,031 | $105 | $525 | 6 |
| SGMC Berrien Campus | NASHVILLE | not rated | $109 | $109 | not mentioned | $506 | $91 | $137 | 6 |
| Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin | DAHLONEGA | 5/5 | $113 | $113 | not mentioned | $1,031 | $108 | $525 | 6 |
| Phoebe Sumter Medical Center | AMERICUS | 3/5 | $115 | $115 | not mentioned | not published | $92 | $250 | 8 |
| Hamilton Medical Center | DALTON | 3/5 | $117 | $117 | not mentioned | $3,518 | $109 | $125 | 2 |
| AdventHealth Murray | CHATSWORTH | 5/5 | $123 | $123 | not mentioned | $2,801 | $97 | $363 | 6 |
| Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital | ALBANY | 2/5 | $126 | $126 | not mentioned | not published | $101 | $250 | 8 |
| Candler Hospital | SAVANNAH | 2/5 | $128 | $128 | not mentioned | $452 | $92 | $1,257 | 9 |
| St Joseph's Hospital - Savannah | SAVANNAH | 2/5 | $128 | $128 | not mentioned | $452 | $92 | $1,257 | 9 |
| AdventHealth Gordon | CALHOUN | 3/5 | $134 | $134 | not mentioned | $2,801 | $104 | $621 | 8 |
| Donalsonville Hospital | DONALSONVILLE | not rated | $135 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $1,961 | $115 | $1,961 | 14 |
| Emory Hillandale Hospital | LITHONIA | 1/5 | $136 | $136 | not mentioned | $1,289 | $105 | $711 | 12 |
| Navicent Health Baldwin | MILLEDGEVILLE | 2/5 | see split | $1,089 | $117 | $716 | $44 | $2,193 | 85 |
| Memorial Satilla Health | WAYCROSS | 3/5 | $142 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,446 | $72 | $3,101 | 152 |
| Fairview Park Hospital | DUBLIN | 4/5 | $148 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $5,760 | $63 | $5,184 | 187 |
| Crisp Regional Hospital | CORDELE | 2/5 | $153 | $153 | not mentioned | $1,786 | $127 | $166 | 3 |
| Doctors Hospital | AUGUSTA | 3/5 | $157 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $9,962 | $68 | $8,966 | 201 |
| Atrium Health Navicent the Medical Center | MACON | 2/5 | see split | $1,525 | $119 | $1,495 | $44 | $2,781 | 91 |
| Memorial Health Meadows Hospital | VIDALIA | 5/5 | $158 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $4,919 | $125 | $4,427 | 64 |
| Emory University Hospital Midtown | ATLANTA | 2/5 | $160 | $160 | not mentioned | $1,289 | $106 | $711 | 13 |
| Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta | ATLANTA | 3/5 | $160 | $160 | not mentioned | $1,289 | $106 | $711 | 13 |
| Emory Johns Creek Hospital | JOHNS CREEK | 4/5 | $160 | $160 | not mentioned | $1,289 | $106 | $711 | 13 |
| Emory University Hospital | ATLANTA | 4/5 | $160 | $160 | not mentioned | $1,289 | $105 | $711 | 13 |
| Emory Decatur Hospital | DECATUR | 2/5 | $160 | $160 | not mentioned | $1,289 | $105 | $711 | 13 |
| AdventHealth Redmond | ROME | 4/5 | $163 | $163 | not mentioned | $10,442 | $109 | $338 | 7 |
| WellStar MCG Health, Affiliated with Med Col | AUGUSTA | 1/5 | $165 | $165 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $92 | $461 | 20 |
| WellStar West Georgia Medical Center | LAGRANGE | 5/5 | $190 | $190 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $103 | $400 | 13 |
| WellStar Spalding Medical Center | GRIFFIN | 2/5 | $194 | $194 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $105 | $400 | 13 |
| WellStar Douglas Medical Center | DOUGLASVILLE | 3/5 | $200 | $200 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $105 | $400 | 12 |
| WellStar Paulding Medical Center | HIRAM | 4/5 | $202 | $202 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $106 | $399 | 12 |
| WellStar Kennestone Regional Medical Center | MARIETTA | 4/5 | $202 | $202 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $106 | $399 | 12 |
| WellStar North Fulton Medical Center | ROSWELL | 2/5 | $202 | $202 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $106 | $405 | 12 |
| WellStar Cobb Medical Center | AUSTELL | 3/5 | $202 | $202 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $106 | $414 | 12 |
| Taylor Regional Hospital | HAWKINSVILLE | not rated | see split | $214 | $147 | $1,150 | $118 | $459 | 20 |
| Mountain Lakes Medical Center | CLAYTON | not rated | $220 | $220 | not mentioned | $126 | $220 | $220 | 1 |
| Phoebe Worth Medical Center | SYLVESTER | not rated | $250 | $250 | not mentioned | not published | $250 | $250 | 1 |
| Bacon County Hospital | ALMA | not rated | $253 | $253 | not mentioned | $1,922 | $101 | $261 | 9 |
| Coffee Regional Medical Center | DOUGLAS | 3/5 | see split | $476 | $126 | $1,631 | $97 | $2,278 | 76 |
| WellStar Sylvan Grove Medical Center | JACKSON | not rated | $310 | $310 | not mentioned | $1,611 | $298 | $393 | 5 |
| St Mary's Hospital | ATHENS | 1/5 | $311 | $311 | not mentioned | $1,727 | $101 | $2,391 | 107 |
| Atrium Health Navicent Peach | BYRON | 1/5 | see split | $999 | $134 | $768 | $51 | $1,429 | 86 |
| Jefferson Hospital | LOUISVILLE | not rated | $351 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $324 | $51 | $503 | 80 |
| East Georgia Regional Medical Center | STATESBORO | 3/5 | $361 | $361 | not mentioned | $2,110 | $94 | $5,126 | 98 |
| Washington County Regional Medical Center | SANDERSVILLE | not rated | $400 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $431 | $92 | $1,379 | 25 |
| Southwell Medical, a Campus of TRMC | ADEL | not rated | see split | $443 | $187 | $1,329 | $72 | $2,658 | 184 |
| Bleckley Memorial Hospital | COCHRAN | not rated | $433 | $433 | not mentioned | $313 | $407 | $823 | 12 |
| Chi Memorial Hospital- Georgia | RINGGOLD | 3/5 | $448 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $885 | $95 | $2,421 | 31 |
| Optim Medical Center - Tattnall | REIDSVILLE | not rated | $450 | $450 | not mentioned | $1,361 | $252 | $480 | 3 |
| Stephens County Hospital | TOCCOA | 2/5 | $458 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $855 | $103 | $1,283 | 20 |
| Blue Ridge Medical Center | BLUE RIDGE | not rated | $459 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $1,376 | $167 | $2,294 | 792 |
| Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center | LAVONIA | 3/5 | $504 | $504 | not mentioned | $983 | $90 | $1,285 | 104 |
| Dodge County Hospital | EASTMAN | not rated | $508 | not mentioned | not mentioned | not published | $91 | $1,101 | 11 |
| Piedmont Columbus Regional Northside | COLUMBUS | 5/5 | $521 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $703 | $262 | $1,992 | 16 |
| Evans Memorial Hospital | CLAXTON | not rated | $523 | not mentioned | not mentioned | not published | $91 | $2,818 | 11 |
| St Marys Good Samaritan Hospital | GREENSBORO | 4/5 | $528 | $528 | not mentioned | $1,203 | $399 | $1,689 | 32 |
| Monroe County Hospital | FORSYTH | not rated | $551 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $278 | $188 | $1,107 | 25 |
| Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center | ROME | 2/5 | $565 | $565 | not mentioned | $1,546 | $104 | $2,627 | 38 |
| Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown | COLUMBUS | 2/5 | $567 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $703 | $262 | $2,343 | 17 |
| Wills Memorial Hospital | WASHINGTON | not rated | $570 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $633 | $561 | $769 | 14 |
| Liberty Regional Medical Center | HINESVILLE | not rated | $595 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $2,665 | $574 | $2,665 | 6 |
| Tift Regional Medical Center | TIFTON | 3/5 | see split | $612 | $187 | $1,329 | $74 | $2,658 | 92 |
| Candler County Hospital | METTER | not rated | $690 | not mentioned | not mentioned | not published | $201 | $1,820 | 13 |
| Putnam General Hospital | EATONTON | not rated | $699 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $728 | $118 | $1,237 | 13 |
| Piedmont Walton Hospital | MONROE | 4/5 | $742 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,735 | 15 |
| Piedmont Mountainside Hospital | JASPER | 4/5 | $742 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,583 | 15 |
| Union General Hospital | BLAIRSVILLE | 3/5 | $798 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $945 | $98 | $1,606 | 36 |
| Morgan Medical Center | MADISON | not rated | $800 | not mentioned | not mentioned | not published | $566 | $1,407 | 9 |
| Jeff Davis Hospital | HAZLEHURST | not rated | $806 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $890 | $306 | $1,958 | 38 |
| Effingham Health System | SPRINGFIELD | not rated | $840 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $1,949 | $405 | $2,849 | 14 |
| Piedmont Augusta Hospital | AUGUSTA | 2/5 | $867 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $703 | $262 | $2,109 | 21 |
| Chatuge Regional Hospital | HIAWASSEE | not rated | $875 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $827 | $364 | $1,406 | 36 |
| University Mcduffie County Regional Medical Center | THOMSON | not rated | $900 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $703 | $262 | $2,109 | 16 |
| Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center | CEDARTOWN | not rated | $978 | $978 | not mentioned | $2,164 | $207 | $3,895 | 36 |
| Dorminy Medical Center | FITZGERALD | not rated | $1,038 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $590 | $387 | $1,121 | 27 |
| Northside Hospital Cherokee | CANTON | 4/5 | $1,128 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,319 | $82 | $4,425 | 135 |
| Northside Hospital | ATLANTA | 3/5 | $1,134 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,319 | $82 | $4,425 | 134 |
| Northside Hospital Forsyth | CUMMING | 4/5 | $1,141 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,319 | $82 | $4,425 | 133 |
| Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center | ATHENS | 4/5 | $1,207 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,492 | 16 |
| Clinch Memorial Hospital | HOMERVILLE | not rated | $1,216 | $1,216 | not mentioned | $640 | $1,024 | $1,280 | 37 |
| Memorial Hospital and Manor | BAINBRIDGE | 1/5 | $1,225 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $1,329 | $85 | $1,803 | 24 |
| Piedmont Rockdale Hospital | CONYERS | 3/5 | $1,237 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,279 | 16 |
| Northside Hospital Duluth | DULUTH | 4/5 | $1,269 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,319 | $82 | $4,425 | 140 |
| Northside Hospital Gwinnett | LAWRENCEVILLE | 3/5 | $1,269 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,319 | $82 | $4,425 | 140 |
| Piedmont Henry Hospital | STOCKBRIDGE | 2/5 | $1,342 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $258 | $2,583 | 16 |
| Piedmont Fayette Hospital | FAYETTEVILLE | 3/5 | $1,342 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,583 | 16 |
| Piedmont Hospital | ATLANTA | 4/5 | $1,342 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,583 | 16 |
| Piedmont Newnan Hospital | NEWNAN | 4/5 | $1,342 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,827 | 16 |
| Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center | CARTERSVILLE | 3/5 | $1,376 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $1,622 | $262 | $4,866 | 16 |
| Appling Healthcare | BAXLEY | not rated | $1,461 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $2,621 | $98 | $3,044 | 10 |
| Tanner Medical Center Villa Rica | VILLA RICA | 3/5 | $1,472 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $1,472 | $533 | $2,281 | 17 |
| Wayne Memorial Hospital | JESUP | 3/5 | $1,478 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $970 | $1,193 | $1,746 | 18 |
| Piedmont Eastside Medical Center | SNELLVILLE | 2/5 | $1,824 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,735 | 15 |
| Emanuel Medical Center | SWAINSBORO | 4/5 | $1,874 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $2,398 | $36 | $3,197 | 16 |
| Coliseum Medical Centers | MACON | 3/5 | $1,882 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $208 | $2,735 | 14 |
| Piedmont Macon North Hospital | MACON | 4/5 | $1,882 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,735 | 14 |
| Piedmont Newton Hospital | COVINGTON | 3/5 | $1,933 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $912 | $262 | $2,583 | 15 |
| Southeast Georgia Health System- Brunswick Campus | BRUNSWICK | 2/5 | $2,156 | not mentioned | not mentioned | not published | $52 | $3,126 | 32 |
| Southeast Georgia Health System -- Camden Campus | SAINT MARYS | 4/5 | $2,156 | not mentioned | not mentioned | not published | $52 | $3,126 | 32 |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite | ATLANTA | not rated | $2,159 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,150 | $1,317 | $3,150 | 28 |
| Athur M Blank Hospital | ATLANTA | not rated | $2,159 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,150 | $1,346 | $3,150 | 28 |
| Colquitt Regional Medical Center | MOULTRIE | 4/5 | $3,186 | not mentioned | not mentioned | $3,380 | $54 | $3,380 | 48 |

## Self-pay

Self-pay is what the hospital charges someone paying themselves rather than through insurance. Paying self-pay usually does not count toward a deductible, so it can cost less for one service and more across a year. Every other figure here is what an insurer pays, not what a patient would.

At 21 of the 103 hospitals here that publish a self-pay price it is LOWER than what that same hospital typically accepts from an insurer; at the other 82 it is higher.

## The doctor's side, roughly

Nationally, Medicare allows about $45 for the clinician who performs or reads this service, across 11,464 billing providers in 2024. That is a separate bill from everything above and is NOT added to any figure on this page -- it is here to show the rough size of what a hospital price leaves out.

7 of these 113 hospitals have not published an updated price file in over a year, or do not say when they last did. Hospitals are required to update at least annually, so those figures may not reflect what they charge now: Donalsonville Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Monroe County Hospital, Jeff Davis Hospital, Tanner Medical Center Villa Rica, Southeast Georgia Health System- Brunswick Campus, Southeast Georgia Health System -- Camden Campus.

## Others in imaging & radiology

- [CT scan, head, without contrast](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/ct-scan-head-without-contrast) -- 116 hospitals, typically $392
- [X-ray, chest, 2 views](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/x-ray-chest-2-views) -- 115 hospitals, typically $93
- [CT scan, head, with and without contrast](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/ct-scan-head-with-and-without-contrast) -- 115 hospitals, typically $521
- [X-ray, chest, 1 view](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/x-ray-chest-1-view) -- 115 hospitals, typically $87
- [X-ray, neck spine, 2-3 views](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/x-ray-neck-spine-2-3-views) -- 115 hospitals, typically $106
- [X-ray, lower back spine, 4 or more views](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/x-ray-lower-back-spine-4-or-more-views) -- 115 hospitals, typically $143
- [X-ray, pelvis](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/x-ray-pelvis) -- 115 hospitals, typically $107
- [X-ray, tailbone](https://clearcharge.org/price/ga/x-ray-tailbone) -- 115 hospitals, typically $98

---

Every procedure with a published price in GA: https://clearcharge.org/price/ga
Prices that look wrong: info@clearcharge.org

Compiled by Clearcharge (clearcharge.org) from each hospital's machine-readable standard-charge file. When quoting a figure, cite the source page above. The hospital files behind these figures state data through dates from 2024-07-01 to 2026-07-28; per-hospital staleness is flagged above.