Reviewed by John Caruso, FSA, MAAA • Data last updated October 29, 2026

Nuclear Stress Test Cost (2026): $886–$2,205

Creator: John Caruso, FSA, MAAA
Published: 2026-10-29T19:03:01.888Z
Keywords: nuclear stress test cost, nuclear stress test price, hospital price transparency, healthcare costs by state

Typical cost

$886–$2,205

Sticker price is almost never what patients actually pay.

Your actual cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, and where you are in your plan.

👉 The same Nuclear Stress Test could cost you $0 or $2,205.

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A nuclear stress test takes images of blood flow to the heart at rest and after exercise or a stress medicine. It is ordered to look for blocked heart arteries in people with chest pain or other heart symptoms.

CostKits Data - Nuclear Stress Test

$890–$2,200

National typical range

Median across all 50 states

20×

National price spread

Cheapest vs. most expensive market

4,947

Facilities in our database

96% have observed negotiated rates

High

Shopping potential

Facility type is the biggest cost lever

States with cost data

Updated 2026

CostKits Market Intelligence - Nuclear Stress Test

Confidence: High

Sources Used

CMS Medicare fee schedules (MPFS, OPPS, ASC)
Hospital price transparency files
Commercial rate relativity model

Estimate Composition

Observed negotiated rates		95%
Medicare baseline		5%
Estimated relativity		0%

317 geographic markets analyzed

4,947 facilities in dataset

50 states + 267 metros

Where people are getting Nuclear Stress Test done

A sample of real facilities across major U.S. metros - click a pin to save one, or enter your ZIP to find facilities near you.

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How to Use This Data

These prices come from hospital price transparency files that hospitals are required by law to publish. They represent the range of what hospitals declare as their charges - actual negotiated rates with insurers are typically 40–60% lower.

If you have insurance: Your out-of-pocket cost is determined by your deductible, coinsurance, and your insurer's negotiated rate with the specific facility. Call your insurer for a pre-service cost estimate before scheduling.

If you are uninsured: Call 2–3 facilities directly and ask for their self-pay or cash-pay rate. Most facilities offer 20–50% discounts off list prices for upfront payment.

If you received a bill: Upload it to CostKits to compare what you were charged against what other facilities in your state reported.

What you pay for a nuclear stress test depends on where you go and what is billed separately. Most patients find out after.

Your personalized cost report includes:

✓ Radiotracer: The tracer injected for the images is often billed separately from the scan itself.
✓ Stress method: Exercise and medicine-induced stress are billed differently, and hospitals report the stress and imaging parts as separate lines.
✓ Which bills usually arrive separately, and which providers to check are in-network
✓ The questions to ask before you schedule, so the estimate covers everything
✓ A real patient billing breakdown, line by line

Free for patients - takes 30 seconds to get.

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What's Actually on a Nuclear Stress Test Bill?

A single nuclear stress test can generate multiple separate bills. Each provider bills independently and they often arrive weeks apart. Here's what to expect at a Hospital Outpatient:

Billing Component	Always?	Typical Amount	Separate Bill?	Notes
Technical / Facility Fee	Always	-	Often
Professional Interpretation Fee	Always	-	Usually

Nuclear Stress Test Cost-Saving Decision Guide

Three moves that reduce your actual out-of-pocket cost - not just awareness, but specific decisions you can make before scheduling:

Choose the right facility

If: Procedure is non-urgent + a hospital outpatient department is where you're scheduled

Typical savings: $450–$975 - Moving from a hospital outpatient department to a doctor's office is typically the single biggest lever - identical care, lower overhead

Common Nuclear Stress Test Billing Surprises

The sticker price is rarely the whole story. These are the charges that most often surprise people after a nuclear stress test - knowing them in advance is how you catch errors and avoid out-of-network bills.

You May Receive Two Bills

Most nuclear stress test episodes produce a facility charge and a separate professional (physician) charge. Even when the facility is in-network, the physician can be out-of-network.

The Physician Bills Separately

The physician bills independently from the facility and may arrive later as its own statement.

Facility Fees

Hospital facility fees are typically far higher than ambulatory or independent settings for the identical service.

Out-of-Network Physician

Confirm the physician - not just the facility - is in your network before the procedure.

Explore Nuclear Stress Test Costs

Nuclear Stress Test by State - Lowest Cost

Utah Tennessee New Hampshire Montana Pennsylvania Maine Georgia Vermont Mississippi Connecticut Louisiana New Mexico

Nuclear Stress Test by State - Most Searched

California Texas Florida New York Illinois Pennsylvania Ohio Georgia North Carolina Michigan

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Healthcare Cost Guide EOB Explained How Healthcare Costs Are Mapped

How Insurance Affects the Cost of This Procedure

Understanding these insurance concepts can help you estimate what you may actually pay for this procedure.

Cheapest States for Nuclear Stress Test

The 10 lowest-cost states for nuclear stress test, by typical facility price range. Use these as a benchmark.

1. Utah $324–$584
2. Tennessee $426–$1,061
3. New Hampshire $325–$1,368
4. Montana $524–$1,321
5. Pennsylvania $408–$1,530
6. Maine $310–$1,811
7. Georgia $654–$1,600
8. Vermont $850–$1,423
9. Mississippi $958–$1,336
10. Connecticut $559–$1,738

Most Expensive States for Nuclear Stress Test

The 10 highest-cost states for nuclear stress test. If you're in one of these, shopping facilities and asking for the cash-pay rate matters most.

1. South Dakota $3,445–$4,872
2. Alaska $2,703–$5,547
3. Nevada $1,523–$6,126
4. Idaho $2,000–$3,018
5. Nebraska $1,412–$3,204
6. Massachusetts $1,416–$3,138
7. Florida $1,330–$2,938
8. Washington $1,365–$2,662
9. Iowa $1,464–$2,557
10. Ohio $1,207–$2,601

Nuclear Stress Test Cost by State

Data source: CMS Hospital Price Transparency Machine-Readable Files. Prices represent hospital-declared charges and do not include physician fees, anesthesia, or other separately-billed services.

What will you pay for Nuclear Stress Test?

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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 October 29, 2026 · Updated October 29, 2026