Cost of a Chest CT Scan Visit
in Texas
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Texas ranks among the states with the highest uninsured rates in the nation, making healthcare cost transparency particularly important for residents seeking specialized imaging services. Patients needing a Chest CT Scan typically pay between $54 and $345, with a median out-of-pocket cost of $135 based on negotiated insurance rates across Texas's 11,000+ imaging providers. With Texas's expansive geographic footprint and varying provider densities from urban centers like Houston and Dallas to rural counties, patients can browse all Chest CT Scan providers statewide to find affordable options.
Average
$178
Median
$135
Lowest
$54
Highest
$345
Providers
11,171
41% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does ct chest compare to related procedures in Texas?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI Brain MRI of the brain with and without contrast | 70553 | $90 | $253 | $721 | 10,894 |
| MRI Knee MRI of the knee without contrast | 73721 | $59 | $167 | $464 | 9,215 |
| MRI Lumbar Spine MRI of the lumbar spine without contrast | 72148 | $65 | $148 | $447 | 9,998 |
| CT Abdomen & Pelvis CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast | 74177 | $80 | $220 | $534 | 11,522 |
Important: These are cost estimates only — not a quote and not medical advice.
The prices on this page are self-pay rates, drawn from federal Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files (CPT 71260 — CT chest with contrast). They represent what a patient might pay without insurance.
Your actual cost depends on: your specific insurance plan, your remaining deductible, your coinsurance percentage, whether you have met your out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility and provider are both in-network, and any separate anesthesia or implant fees billed independently.
This page does not constitute medical advice. Whether you need this procedure, and which approach is right for you, is a decision to make with a licensed healthcare provider.
Where this data comes from & what CPT 71260 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 71260 (CT chest with contrast), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 71260 covers: the provider's professional fee for ct chest. It does not include facility/hospital fees, anesthesia, pre-operative imaging, post-operative care, or any add-on codes billed separately.
How to read this data
Negotiated Rate
The discounted price an insurer has agreed to pay a specific provider. Most insured patients' bills are calculated from this number, not the higher list price hospitals publish separately.
P5, Median, P95
P5 is the rate at the 5th percentile (low end), Median is the middle value, and P95 is the 95th percentile (high end). This range shows how much the same visit can vary between providers.
What this does not tell you
These rates do not tell you what you personally will pay out of pocket. That depends on your specific plan, how much of your deductible you have already met, your coinsurance rate, and whether the provider is in your network. Call your insurer's member line to get your exact estimate.
Why Chest CT Scan Visit Costs Vary Across Texas
Texas healthcare costs average about 4% below national levels, but the state's massive geographic spread creates significant cost variations between urban medical centers and rural facilities. With over 600 ambulatory surgery centers and sprawling rural counties often served by single imaging facilities, market competition varies dramatically across different regions of the Lone Star State.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
Major Texas metropolitan areas like Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin have numerous competing imaging facilities, helping keep Chest CT Scan costs competitive through market forces. Rural Texas counties often have limited or no local imaging options, forcing patients to travel hours to regional medical centers where prices may be higher due to lack of competition. The Rio Grande Valley and East Texas regions particularly struggle with imaging access, affecting both availability and pricing for specialized scans.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Large Texas health systems like Houston Methodist, Baylor Scott & White, and UT Southwestern typically charge premium rates at their hospital-based imaging centers due to higher overhead costs and facility fees. Independent radiology groups operating freestanding imaging centers across Texas suburbs often provide identical Chest CT Scan quality at 30-50% lower rates than hospital-affiliated facilities. Academic medical centers in Texas cities may have higher base rates but offer more specialized expertise for complex chest imaging cases.
Insurance Market Competition in Texas
The presence of major national insurers UHC, BCBS TX, Aetna, and Cigna creates moderate competition in Texas urban markets, though rural areas often have limited plan choices affecting negotiated imaging rates. BCBS TX maintains strong provider networks across the state, often resulting in better coverage for Chest CT Scans compared to national carriers with smaller Texas networks. Insurance market concentration varies significantly between metropolitan areas like Houston with many carrier options versus rural regions with essentially monopolistic insurer control.
Physician Supply and Demand in Texas
With over 11,000 providers offering Chest CT Scan services across Texas, the state has relatively good imaging capacity in urban areas but significant shortages in rural regions. This large provider count in major cities creates competitive pricing pressure, while underserved rural areas may see higher costs due to limited facility options and longer travel requirements. Radiologist subspecialty training in chest imaging is concentrated in Texas medical school cities, potentially creating quality and cost variations between different geographic regions.
Jayant Panwar
CEO, Momentary Labs · San Francisco, CA
Jayant has analyzed healthcare pricing data from CMS Transparency in Coverage files since 2022, covering more than 50 million negotiated rate records across all 50 states. His work focuses on making insurer machine-readable files accessible to patients and researchers.
The cost figures on this page reflect his ongoing work to make this data accessible to patients.
Frequently Asked Questions — Chest CT Scan Costs in Texas
What is the average cost of a Chest CT Scan visit in Texas without insurance?
Does Texas Medicaid cover Chest CT Scan visits?
How do I find an affordable Chest CT Scan near me in Texas?
What is the difference in cost between an initial consultation and a follow-up visit?
Can I use an HSA or FSA to pay for a Chest CT Scan visit in Texas?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a Chest CT Scan in Texas?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 71260)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota Range: $118 – $7,881 | $2,723 |
| 2 | Minnesota Range: $80 – $7,881 | $2,711 |
| 3 | Wisconsin Range: $73 – $863 | $363 |
| 4 | Georgia Range: $61 – $699 | $319 |
| 5 | Wyoming Range: $54 – $598 | $287 |
| 6 | Nevada Range: $80 – $453 | $272 |
| 7 | Maine Range: $93 – $439 | $262 |
| 8 | Nebraska Range: $108 – $415 | $246 |
| 9 | Hawaii Range: $67 – $348 | $243 |
| 10 | New Mexico Range: $52 – $505 | $242 |
| 11 | Iowa Range: $73 – $424 | $237 |
| 12 | Vermont Range: $49 – $516 | $236 |
| 13 | North Carolina Range: $60 – $443 | $233 |
| 14 | New Hampshire Range: $67 – $446 | $232 |
| 15 | Massachusetts Range: $64 – $454 | $230 |
| 16 | Rhode Island Range: $54 – $454 | $226 |
| 17 | Alaska Range: $54 – $449 | $224 |
| 18 | District of Columbia Range: $49 – $454 | $223 |
| 19 | Colorado Range: $55 – $441 | $218 |
| 20 | Utah Range: $54 – $374 | $212 |
| 21 | California Range: $25 – $521 | $210 |
| 22 | Indiana Range: $54 – $411 | $206 |
| 23 | New York Range: $42 – $443 | $205 |
| 24 | Washington Range: $54 – $384 | $203 |
| 25 | Michigan Range: $57 – $356 | $195 |
| 26 | Illinois Range: $64 – $346 | $192 |
| 27 | Tennessee Range: $61 – $333 | $188 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania Range: $50 – $389 | $185 |
| 29 | West Virginia Range: $64 – $317 | $184 |
| 30 | Virginia Range: $41 – $371 | $182 |
| 31 | Idaho Range: $54 – $321 | $182 |
| 32 | New Jersey Range: $41 – $371 | $181 |
| 33 | Connecticut Range: $54 – $389 | $179 |
| 34 | Texas Range: $54 – $345 | $178 |
| 35 | South Carolina Range: $54 – $339 | $178 |
| 36 | Kansas Range: $59 – $324 | $178 |
| 37 | Oregon Range: $70 – $291 | $177 |
| 38 | South Dakota Range: $134 – $222 | $175 |
| 39 | Alabama Range: $48 – $332 | $173 |
| 40 | Delaware Range: $61 – $273 | $170 |
| 41 | Louisiana Range: $48 – $288 | $169 |
| 42 | Kentucky Range: $54 – $335 | $169 |
| 43 | Arkansas Range: $61 – $278 | $164 |
| 44 | Montana Range: $54 – $263 | $163 |
| 45 | Maryland Range: $24 – $335 | $161 |
| 46 | Mississippi Range: $48 – $307 | $160 |
| 47 | Missouri Range: $64 – $265 | $159 |
| 48 | Oklahoma Range: $51 – $298 | $154 |
| 49 | Ohio Range: $41 – $298 | $154 |
| 50 | Arizona Range: $54 – $267 | $145 |
| 51 | Florida Range: $35 – $297 | $131 |