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CT Abdomen Cost in California (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay

What does a ct abdomen cost in California?

The cost of a ct abdomen in California depends on how you pay. With commercial insurance it typically runs $351–$2,257, facility and physician fees combined. Medicare pays one national rate to every provider, and you generally owe about 20% of it (around $42) after the Part B deductible. Without insurance, posted hospital cash prices run $220–$3,675. The sections below break this down by coverage and by insurer. This estimate is based on CMS fee schedules and hospital price transparency data published under federal law.

Once you have a bill or an appointment on the calendar, CostKits can help you keep it all organized.

Where ct abdomen costs vary in California

Pins show hospitals with price-transparency data (colored by vs. state average) and nearby imaging centers and other facilities (colored by type). Click any pin for facility name and estimated cost range.

Hospital (below avg) Hospital (above avg) Imaging Center Click a pin for details.

26+ people checked prices near them this month.

The same CT scan costs 3–6× more at a hospital than at an imaging center. Location is the biggest variable - and you can choose.

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Cheapest CT Abdomen Providers in California

Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.

# Facility City Price vs median ($684)
1 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - ONTARIO Ontario, CA $220 $464 below
2 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - WEST LA Los Angeles, CA $220 $464 below
3 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - RIVERSIDE Riverside, CA $220 $464 below
4 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - SAN DIEGO - CLAIREMONT MESA San Diego, CA $220 $464 below
5 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - MORENO VALLEY Moreno Valley, CA $220 $464 below
6 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - PANORAMA CITY Panorama City, CA $220 $464 below
7 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - SAN DIEGO - ZION San Diego, CA $220 $464 below
8 KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - LOS ANGELES Los Angeles, CA $220 $464 below

Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.

Before you book: three questions that change the price

  1. Is this the self-pay price, and does it include the doctor, anesthesia and any lab or pathology? Those are often billed separately.
  2. Can you give me the price in writing, with the billing codes it covers?
  3. What happens to the price if something extra is needed during the procedure?

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost →  ·  When the bills arrive, we check them for errors →

Quick take

  • KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - ONTARIO is the lowest-cost option at $220 - $464 below the median posted price ($684), just by choosing where you go.
  • Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met - the median cash price here is $675, and it's often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied.
  • Independent imaging centers often charge much less than hospital outpatient departments for the same scan and may not appear in this hospital-only dataset - ask your doctor whether one is an option.
CT Abdomen prices by coverage in California, October 2026
CoverageHospitals with a rateTypical rangeMedian
Medicare (national rate)—$143 to $356$211
With insurance (commercial, average)232$201 to $1,689$765
Without insurance (cash price)301$220 to $3,675$675
Anthem Blue Cross178$175 to $1,793$826
Aetna145$223 to $2,045$792
Cigna128$217 to $3,182$1,548
UnitedHealthcare82$129 to $1,770$281

Rates are negotiated allowed amounts and cash prices from hospital price-transparency files (October 2026), shown at each hospital’s lowest-priced typical billing code for this procedure. Facility fees only. The typical range is the middle 80% of hospitals, not a quote for your visit.

How much does an CT Abdomen cost with Medicare in California?

Medicare's national hospital outpatient payment for CT Abdomen is about $143 to $356 (typically near $211). After the $257 Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, about $42 on a $211 payment, with no out-of-pocket cap unless you have supplemental coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan.

Doctor, anesthesia and pathology fees are billed separately. Medicare rates are national CMS amounts, adjusted slightly by local wage levels.

How much does an CT Abdomen cost with insurance in California?

Across 232 California hospitals, the negotiated rates commercial insurers pay for CT Abdomen average $201 to $1,689 per hospital, with a median near $765. That is the amount your plan and you pay the hospital together; you owe your deductible, then coinsurance, up to your out-of-pocket maximum.

Each hospital’s figure is the average of the commercial insurers it lists. Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid rates are excluded.

How much does an CT Abdomen cost without insurance in California?

Cash (self-pay) prices for CT Abdomen at 301 California hospitals range from $220 to $3,675, with a median of $675. Ask for the cash or self-pay price and for any financial-assistance discount before you book; both can be lower than the posted price.

Cash prices are the hospital’s published discounted rate for patients paying without insurance.

How much does an CT Abdomen cost with Anthem Blue Cross in California?

Anthem Blue Cross negotiated rates for CT Abdomen at 178 California hospitals range from $175 to $1,793, with a median near $826. Your own cost depends on your plan’s deductible and coinsurance, and on whether the hospital is in your network.

Includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Anthem plans listed by each hospital.

How much does an CT Abdomen cost with Aetna in California?

Aetna negotiated rates for CT Abdomen at 145 California hospitals range from $223 to $2,045, with a median near $792. If a hospital is out of network for your Aetna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How much does an CT Abdomen cost with Cigna in California?

Cigna negotiated rates for CT Abdomen at 128 California hospitals range from $217 to $3,182, with a median near $1,548. If a hospital is out of network for your Cigna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How much does an CT Abdomen cost with UnitedHealthcare in California?

UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates for CT Abdomen at 82 California hospitals range from $129 to $1,770, with a median near $281. If a hospital is out of network for your UnitedHealthcare plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How where you go changes what you pay for ct abdomen

The same ct abdomen bundles different services depending on the setting - facility fee, surgeon fee, and anesthesia each arrive as separate bills. Estimated ranges below reflect the typical full bundled cost, including all expected charges.

Hospital Outpatient
$201–$12,838
  • Facility fee $201–$12,838

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

Hospital Inpatient
$204–$12,838
  • Facility fee $204–$12,838

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

Independent Imaging Center
$441–$1,000
  • technical_component $301–$628
  • professional_interpretation $140–$372

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

California has the most competitive commercial hospital market in the country, with aggressive multi-system competition in every major metro driving meaningful price variation. Kaiser Permanente's integrated payer-provider model covers roughly 40% of the insured population in the state - if you're Kaiser-enrolled, the prices here largely don't apply. California's robust price transparency enforcement under SB 1204 means the data here is more complete than in most states. Abdominal CT pricing follows the same site-of-service pattern as other imaging: the identical scan costs 3–6× more at a hospital outpatient department than at an independent imaging center. With contrast vs. without contrast are different CPT codes and different prices, so confirm which your doctor ordered before scheduling. If ordered non-urgently, calling ahead to compare cash prices across independent imaging centers near you is the single most effective cost reduction strategy.

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Why prices vary - and what it means for your coverage

A small number of hospitals (13) report prices above $5,174, including JFK MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, INC. at $9,009, which drives most of the overall spread - excluding them, most facilities cluster in a much tighter band. Setting matters too: the median outpatient price is $603 versus $1,934 inpatient (about 3.2× more), so where a procedure happens often matters more than which hospital you pick. Whether the scan happens in a hospital outpatient department (which adds a separate facility fee) or a freestanding imaging center is usually the single biggest driver of price for this procedure.

What you pay out of pocket on top of this depends on your deductible, your plan's out-of-pocket maximum, and whether every provider involved is in-network - not just the facility.

Your situation Estimated out-of-pocket
Deductible not yet met ~$837
Deductible met - 20% coinsurance ~$167
Out-of-network provider $1,841+

Frequently asked questions: CT Abdomen costs in California

How much does a CT Abdomen cost in California?

The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $134, with most facilities between $101 and $146 (based on 274 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). That is the hospital's negotiated rate alone; with physician fees, a commercially insured patient's full episode is typically $351–$2,257. Posted cash prices at the middle 80% of California hospitals run $220–$3,675; outlier facilities above and below that range are left out. What you pay depends on the facility, your insurance, and whether you have met your deductible.

Where is the cheapest place to get a CT Abdomen in California?

Based on declared prices, the lowest posted price in our California data is KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - ONTARIO in Ontario at about $220. By metro, Los Angeles has the lowest median ($225). Independent imaging centers are often cheaper still and may not appear in hospital price data - ask your doctor whether one is an option.

Why is a CT Abdomen so much cheaper at some California hospitals?

Typical prices vary about 1.4× (25th to 70th percentile of negotiated rates) because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In California, the median cash (self-pay) price is $675 versus a median negotiated rate of $765 - cash is the lower number at many hospitals. Asking for the cash price as well as your insurer's negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on what you pay.

How much will I actually pay out of pocket for a CT Abdomen in California?

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the facility is in-network - not just the sticker price. If you have not met your deductible, you will typically pay the negotiated rate in full until you do. Use the CostKits cost forecaster to estimate your specific out-of-pocket amount before you go.

Before you book

Other procedures in California

CT Abdomen, elsewhere

What matters before you schedule

Imaging center vs. hospital

Hospital outpatient departments typically charge 2-4x more than independent imaging centers for the same ct abdomen - same outcome, very different bill. The ER charges the most of any setting and should only be used when the situation is medically urgent. Call ahead and ask for a self-pay or cash quote at each setting you're considering.

With vs. without contrast

Which type your doctor orders for this ct abdomen changes the billing code, and what you pay. For example: A standard ct abdomen with no contrast dye - the most common and lowest-cost version.

This is shoppable

CT Abdomen is elective and schedulable, so you have time to compare facilities before booking - hospital outpatient prices often run 2-4x higher than alternative settings for the identical clinical outcome.

What to ask before you book

Get the CPT code from your doctor, confirm every provider involved (not just the facility) is in-network, ask for the cash-pay rate if you're uninsured or haven't met your deductible, and request a written estimate for ct abdomen before you schedule.


CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account).

Other Procedure Costs in California

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Emergency care

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About the Author

John Caruso, FSA, MAAA

Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.

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Published July 17, 2026 · Updated October 29, 2026

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