How much does a CT Scan cost?

My brother needs another CT Scan done on his brain (suffered a stroke August 2007 & had a CT Scan done at that time). I do not know how invasive this would be or how many angles they will scan from. We do not have insurance and so will have to pay out-of-pocket (Dr. said she would try to get us a price break). I was hoping someone could let me know how much these CT Scans are, even if it is a "ballpark figure". We live in San Diego, Ca. Thank you for your help!

I live and work in Northern California. A CT scan of the brain costs about $800 where I work. For this type of scan, the price will be higher if IV contrast is needed.

My best advice would be to look in your local yellow pages, and make calls for estimated costs at facilities in your area. Prices will vary depending on which state you are in....in fact, the prices can vary quite a bit between facilities in the same area. I work in a free standing imaging center, and we charge about half what the hospital (located in the same town!) charges. Look in the yellow pages under "x-ray" or "physicians - radiologist" and start calling facilities. If you call the imaging department of a hospital, make sure you get both the technical fee (for the cost of the procedure) and the professional fee (for the radiologist's reading). Most free standing imaging centers combine those costs into one fee. Other things to think about.....find out if the facility offers a cash discount for uninsured patients. Where I work, we offer 40% off the cost of CTs and MRIs for uninsured patients, if they pay the total on the day of service. Also, find out if they can make a payment plan for you, if you cannot come up with all of the money at the time of your procedure. We ask for 25% down at time of service, and then we do a payment plan, mapping out monthly payments for the balance. Sometimes the monthly payment is fairly low.....$50 even. A little bit of research can save you some money!

My 6 yr-old had to have a CT scan for a head injury 3 years ago. It was right after our insurance expired and the hospital sent us a bill for $ 2900. We live in Texas.