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CT Scan (Head) Cost in St Louis, MO (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay

What does a ct scan (head) cost in St Louis, MO?

Where you have a ct scan (head) done in St Louis, MO swings the bill from $704 to $1,061 for identical care. The median cash price across 32 reporting hospitals is $859. The numbers are pulled directly from federally mandated hospital price transparency files.

Across 32 St Louis, MO hospitals that publish prices, a CT Scan (Head) runs from as little as $105 (Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis in Richmond Heights) to $7,573 (Intensiva Hospital of Greater St Louis - Select Specialty Hospital - St Louis) — a 72.1× spread for the same procedure. Half of St Louis, MO facilities price it at or below $859, with most clustered between $294 and $1,061. Self-pay patients are quoted more than insurers actually pay: the median cash price is $859 versus a median negotiated rate of $105 — about 8.2× higher, so asking for the cash or insurer-negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on your bill. Where you go inside St Louis, MO counts as much as which plan you have: Alton's median ($1,398) runs 1.8× Saint Louis's ($798).

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.

The free toolkit shows you:

  • ✓ Why facility type drives most of the price variation — and how to use that
  • ✓ The separate radiologist bill most patients miss (and how to verify it's in-network)
  • ✓ When contrast adds a charge — and when it's negotiable
  • ✓ The questions to ask before scheduling that can save $500–$1,500
  • ✓ A real patient billing breakdown, line by line

Free for patients — takes 30 seconds to get.

We'll email it to you immediately. No account required, no spam.

Forecast your out-of-pocket cost

How prices are distributed across St Louis, MO hospitals:
  • Lower-cost hospitals (bottom 25%): under $294
  • Median hospital: $859
  • Higher-cost hospitals (top 30%): $1,061+

That's a 4× spread for the same procedure — driven entirely by which facility you choose, not by clinical complexity.

Example — two commercially insured patients in Saint Louis:
  • Patient A (higher-rate plan or out-of-network): ~$1,061
  • Patient B (lower-rate in-network plan): ~$704
Same procedure. Same week. $357 difference.

Where ct scan (head) costs vary in St Louis, MO

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

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

See every St Louis, MO hospital's price

The 5 cheapest are shown. Enter your email to reveal the rest of the map and unlock all 27 remaining facilities — instantly.

We'll email you the full St Louis, MO price list as a PDF. Sourced from CMS files. No spam.

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Cheapest CT Scan (Head) Providers in St Louis, MO

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

# Facility City Price vs Median
1 Jersey Community Hospital Jerseyville, MO $120 -$739
2 Ssm Health Saint Louis University Hospital Saint Louis, MO $120 -$739
3 Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, MO $184 -$675
4 Archview ER Hospital LLC MO $225 -$634
5 Anderson Rehabilitation Institute MO $317 -$542
6 Touchette Regional Hospital MO $689 -$170
7 St Louis Childrens Hospital Saint Louis, MO $739 -$120
8 St Peters IRF Location The Rehabilitation Institute of St Louis an affiliation of BJC HealthCare and Encompass Health MO $813 -$46

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

The facility you choose matters more than almost anything else — the same procedure, same quality, same state can cost 5× more at one hospital versus the one down the road.

Compare all procedure costs   → CT Scan (Head) costs nationwide

Check YOUR hospital's pricing → Estimate YOUR exact cost →

Worth knowing: A small number of hospitals report very high prices above $3,479, which pulls the overall range wider than what most patients encounter. The typical range above is a better guide for planning.
Every hospital in this dataset offers a cash price — with a median of $859. If your deductible hasn't been met, always ask for the self-pay rate before scheduling.

What you'll actually pay — example scenarios

Your situation Estimated out-of-pocket
Deductible not yet met (pay in full) ~$859
Deductible met — 20% coinsurance ~$172
Out-of-network provider $1,890+

Based on the state median facility price of $859. Your actual cost depends on your plan deductible, coinsurance rate, and network tier. Get YOUR personalized estimate →

What this means for you

If you haven't met your deductible, you are effectively a cash-pay patient.

That means:

  • You should verify your hospital is in-network before an elective visit when possible
  • The cheapest facility can save you $754+ vs. the median.

This is the single biggest lever most patients have to reduce their cost.

Lower-cost options in St Louis, MO start around $294 or below. Most hospitals cluster between $294 and $1,568. A smaller group reports prices above that — often academic medical centers or high-cost markets.

If you're comparing specific hospitals, the lowest self-pay rates reported in this dataset include: Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis in Richmond Heights (cash price from $105); Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-St Charles in Saint Charles (cash price from $105); Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-Lake Saint Louis in Lake Saint Louis (cash price from $105). These are declared cash prices — contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.

Quick decision guide:
  • Best value hospitals (lowest prices): Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis: $105; Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-St Charles: $105; Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-Lake Saint Louis: $105
  • Most expensive (outpatient): HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL: ~$2,011

→ Choosing the right facility can save $754+ vs. the state median.

St Louis, MO CT Scan (Head) prices by facility

All prices below come from hospital chargemasters — the official price lists each hospital must publish under federal law. Gross charge is the undiscounted list price; cash price is the self-pay rate; negotiated range covers the spread across insurance contracts.

How we calculate "Your Price" — We prioritize the most actionable price in this order:
  1. Cash price — the self-pay rate you can actually negotiate and pay
  2. Negotiated rate — if reported by the hospital across insurance contracts
  3. Gross charge — fallback only; this is the inflated list price few people pay

This reflects the real prices patients encounter — not inflated chargemaster rates.

# Facility City Your Price vs Median Gross Charge
#1 Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis Richmond Heights, MO $105 -$754 $105–$127
#2 Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-St Charles Saint Charles, MO $105 -$754 $105–$127
#3 Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-Lake Saint Louis Lake Saint Louis, MO $105 -$754 $105–$127
#4 Ssm Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton Fenton, MO $105 -$754 $105–$127
#5 Jersey Community Hospital Jerseyville, MO $120 -$739 $120–$2,726
#6 Ssm Health Saint Louis University Hospital Saint Louis, MO $120 -$739 $120–$146
#7 Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, MO $184 -$675 $307–$1,765
#8 Archview ER Hospital LLC MO $225 -$634 $1,242–$9,416
#9 Anderson Rehabilitation Institute MO $317 -$542 $317–$3,422
#10 Touchette Regional Hospital MO $689 -$170 $1,112
#11 St Louis Childrens Hospital Saint Louis, MO $739 -$120 $1,232–$1,606
#12 St Peters IRF Location The Rehabilitation Institute of St Louis an affiliation of BJC HealthCare and Encompass Health MO $813 -$46 $1,084–$1,348
#13 The Rehabilitation Institute of St Louis an affiliation of BJC HealthCare and Encompass Health St. Louis, MO $813 -$46 $1,084–$1,348
#14 The Rehabilitation Institute of St Louis West County Ballwin, MO $813 -$46 $1,084–$1,348
#15 Ssm Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospit Saint Louis, MO $858 -$1 $1,560–$3,510
#16 Alton Memorial Hospital Alton, MO $859 +$0 $1,433–$2,032
#17 Memorial Hospital Belleville, MO $859 +$0 $1,433–$2,032
#18 Barnes Jewish St. Peters Hospital St. Peters, MO $859 +$0 $1,433–$2,032
#19 Progress West Hospital O'Fallon, MO $859 +$0 $1,433–$2,032
#20 Missouri Baptist Sullivan Hospital Sullivan, MO $879 +$20 $1,466–$2,317
#21 The Rehabilitation Institute of Southern Illinois Shiloh, MO $941 +$82 $1,255–$1,482
#22 SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital - Wentzville Wentzville, MO $1,018 +$159 $1,852–$2,594
#23 Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO $1,080 +$221 $1,080–$1,847
#24 ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL - BREESE Breese, MO $1,565 +$706 $2,174–$3,176
#25 ST. ELIZABETH'S HOSPITAL O'Fallon, MO $1,578 +$719 $2,192–$3,089
#26 Barnes Jewish Hospital St. Louis, MO $1,822 +$963 $3,037–$3,480
#27 OSF Healthcare System Alton, MO $1,937 +$1,078 $3,229–$4,208
#28 HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL Greenville, MO $2,011 +$1,152 $2,794–$3,826
#29 SSM Select Rehab St. Louis, LLC d/b/a SSM Health Rehabilitation Hospital (Lake St. Louis Campus) MO $5,981 +$5,122 $5,981–$7,470
#30 SSM Select Rehab St. Louis, LLC d/b/a SSM Health Rehabilitation Hospital (Richmond Heights Campus) MO $5,981 +$5,122 $5,981–$7,470
#31 Intensiva Hospital of Greater St Louis - Select Specialty Hospital - St Louis MO $7,573 +$6,714 $7,573–$10,053
#32 Intensiva Hospital of Greater St Louis (Select Specialty Hospital - Town and Country) MO $7,573 +$6,714 $7,573–$10,053

Unlock all 27 remaining St Louis, MO hospitals

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We'll email you the full St Louis, MO price list as a PDF. Sourced from CMS files. No spam.

Source: CMS hospital price transparency machine-readable files. vs Median = savings or premium relative to the state median price. Gross Charge = undiscounted list price for reference.

Received a bill? Check it for errors → Estimate YOUR cost before you go →

Compare other procedures in St Louis, MO:

Where you can save the most on ct scan (head) in St Louis, MO

These facilities have the lowest declared prices relative to the state median — they represent the best opportunities to reduce your out-of-pocket cost for this procedure.

Facility City Your Price vs Median
Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis Richmond Heights, MO $105 -$754
Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-St Charles Saint Charles, MO $105 -$754
Ssm Health St. Joseph Hospital-Lake Saint Louis Lake Saint Louis, MO $105 -$754
Ssm Health St. Clare Hospital - Fenton Fenton, MO $105 -$754
Jersey Community Hospital Jerseyville, MO $120 -$739

How to choose a lower-cost facility

  • Choose independent outpatient centers when possible — freestanding ASCs (ambulatory surgical centers) consistently charge less than hospital outpatient departments for identical procedures.
  • Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met — self-pay rates are often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied, especially at facilities that have a high cash-price discount.
  • Avoid hospital outpatient departments for routine cases — hospital-owned locations add a facility fee that freestanding centers don't charge, often adding $500–$1,500 to the same procedure.
Important: Many procedures are done at ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) that are often 30–60% cheaper than hospital outpatient departments with the same clinical quality. Most ASCs are not in this hospital dataset — meaning your cheapest option may not even appear here. Ask your doctor if the procedure can be done at a freestanding ASC.

Most expensive ct scan (head) providers in St Louis, MO

These facilities report the highest prices for this procedure. Academic medical centers and specialty hospitals often top this list — their gross charges rarely reflect what anyone actually pays, but understanding the spread helps you negotiate.

Facility City Price vs Median
Intensiva Hospital of Greater St Louis - Select Specialty Hospital - St Louis MO $7,573 +$6,714
Intensiva Hospital of Greater St Louis (Select Specialty Hospital - Town and Country) MO $7,573 +$6,714
SSM Select Rehab St. Louis, LLC d/b/a SSM Health Rehabilitation Hospital (Lake St. Louis Campus) MO $5,981 +$5,122
SSM Select Rehab St. Louis, LLC d/b/a SSM Health Rehabilitation Hospital (Richmond Heights Campus) MO $5,981 +$5,122
HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL Greenville, MO $2,011 +$1,152

Why prices vary this much

A small number of hospitals (4) report very high prices above $3,479, which drives much of the overall price range. Excluding these, most facilities cluster in a significantly tighter band.

Setting drives much of the gap in St Louis, MO: the median outpatient price is $859 versus $869 inpatient, so where a procedure is performed often matters more than which hospital you choose. Of the St Louis, MO facilities reporting prices, 8 fall in a low-cost tier (up to $294) while 8 sit in a high-cost tier ($1,568 and up) — a lower-priced option almost always exists within the same state.

The spread comes from how each hospital sets its chargemaster (the undiscounted list price), what cash discounts it applies, and what rates it negotiates with each insurer. Facility classification matters too — a hospital-owned outpatient center adds a facility fee that a freestanding clinic does not. Understanding these mechanics is the first step to paying less.

Learn more:
Allowed amount vs negotiated rate — what your EOB is really saying
How to read your medical bill
Why hospital prices are so hard to find — and what to do about it

How insurance changes what you actually pay

Hospital list prices are only part of the picture. What you pay out of pocket depends on your deductible, your plan's out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility is in-network, and whether your plan classifies the visit as outpatient or inpatient. A lower gross charge doesn't guarantee a lower bill if the facility is out-of-network or adds facility fees your plan doesn't cover.

Understand your cost before you go:
Deductible vs out-of-pocket max
EOB vs medical bill — complete guide
How to stop medical bill problems before they start (in-network vs out-of-network)

Compare ct scan (head) costs in nearby states

Frequently asked questions: CT Scan (Head) costs in St Louis, MO

How much does a CT Scan (Head) cost in St Louis, MO?

Across 32 St Louis, MO hospitals that publish prices, a CT Scan (Head) ranges from $105 to $7,573, with a median of $859. Most facilities fall between $294 and $1,061. 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 Scan (Head) in St Louis, MO?

Based on declared prices, the lowest-cost facility in our St Louis, MO data is Ssm Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis in Richmond Heights at about $105. By metro, Saint Louis has the lowest median ($798). Freestanding ambulatory surgery and 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 Scan (Head) so much cheaper at some St Louis, MO hospitals?

Prices vary up to 72.1× because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In St Louis, MO, the median cash (self-pay) price is $859 versus a median negotiated rate of $105 — about 8.2× higher. Asking for the cash price or 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 Scan (Head) in St Louis, MO?

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.

Explore all ct scan (head) cost data

See ct scan (head) costs across all states

Where You Get a CT Scan (Head) Matters

Hospital outpatient departments typically charge 2–4× more than ASCs or independent centers for the same procedure — same outcome, very different bill.

Hospital Outpatient Department

Hospital Outpatient Department typically carries a higher price for a ct scan (head). Facility fee billed separately from professional fee. Provider-based billing adds facility overhead. You can shop here — call ahead and ask for a self-pay or cash quote.

Independent Imaging Center

Independent Imaging Center typically carries the lowest typical price for a ct scan (head). Freestanding radiology centers. Technical component billed by center; professional (radiologist read) billed separately. You can shop here — call ahead and ask for a self-pay or cash quote.

Emergency Room CT Scan (Head)

A CT Scan (Head) performed in the emergency department can run 2–5× the cost of the identical scan at an outpatient or independent facility, because a hospital facility fee stacks on top. Use the ER only when the situation is medically urgent — it is not a setting where you can shop on price.

CT Scan (Head) Cost With vs Without Contrast

Which type your doctor orders changes the billing code — and what you pay. Here's how the common types differ.

CT Head Without Contrast

A standard ct scan (head) with no contrast dye — the most common and lowest-cost version.

CT Head With Contrast

Uses contrast dye to highlight tissue. The dye and its administration are billed on top of the base scan.

CT Head With and Without Contrast

Two sets of images — before and after contrast — in one visit. It costs more than either alone because both sequences are performed and interpreted.

This Procedure Is Shoppable — Choosing the Right Facility Can Save Thousands

CT Scan (Head) is elective and schedulable. You have time to compare facilities — and hospital outpatient prices often run 2–4× higher than Hospital OP, Imaging Center for identical clinical outcomes.

How to shop: Ask your doctor for the CPT code, then call 2–3 facilities and request an out-of-pocket cost estimate. Confirm your insurance is accepted. If uninsured, ask for the cash-pay rate — it's usually 20–50% below the list price.

Who performs this: CT Scan (Head) is typically performed by a Radiology. The specialist's professional fee is billed separately from the facility charge — you will likely receive separate bills from each.


CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. If you've received a bill for this procedure:
Analyze your medical bill for errors
How to negotiate your medical bills
Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account)

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.

The free toolkit shows you:

  • ✓ Why facility type drives most of the price variation — and how to use that
  • ✓ The separate radiologist bill most patients miss (and how to verify it's in-network)
  • ✓ When contrast adds a charge — and when it's negotiable
  • ✓ The questions to ask before scheduling that can save $500–$1,500
  • ✓ A real patient billing breakdown, line by line

Free for patients — takes 30 seconds to get.

We'll email it to you immediately. No account required, no spam.

Other Procedure Costs in St Louis, MO

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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 June 12, 2026

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