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CT & ultrasound: hospital vs imaging center (Minneapolis–St. Paul)

Posted cash prices · RAYUS MN price file Aug 2026 · hospital price files Oct 2026

Statewide CT hospital prices → · Statewide ultrasound prices →

CT head/brain w/o contrast · CPT 70450

RAYUS global cash (scan + read): $750.00 · price file

Metro hospital facility-cash median: $431.81 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra).

Radiologist read = CMS CY2026 Medicare physician fee for Minnesota, CPT 70450-26 ($38.53), shown as 1×–3× ESTIMATE where the hospital file has no usable rates. FROM FILE = p10–p90 of payer-negotiated radiologist (mod-26) rates in that hospital’s own price file (≥10 rates). How we estimate

Price flags come from our manual audit of each hospital’s price file (Oct 30, 2026). “Low price checked in file” = we opened the file and the row is a real facility cash price. “May be a partial/component line” = the row looks like a component, per-unit, or bundled line, so the real price for this test may differ. Hover a flag for the reason. Always confirm with the hospital.

CT sinus/maxillofacial w/o contrast · CPT 70486

RAYUS global cash (scan + read): $750.00 · price file

Metro hospital facility-cash median: $564.94 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra).

Radiologist read = CMS CY2026 Medicare physician fee for Minnesota, CPT 70486-26 ($38.87), shown as 1×–3× ESTIMATE where the hospital file has no usable rates. FROM FILE = p10–p90 of payer-negotiated radiologist (mod-26) rates in that hospital’s own price file (≥10 rates). How we estimate

CT chest w/o contrast · CPT 71250

RAYUS global cash (scan + read): $750.00 · price file

Metro hospital facility-cash median: $467.85 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra).

Radiologist read = CMS CY2026 Medicare physician fee for Minnesota, CPT 71250-26 ($48.38), shown as 1×–3× ESTIMATE where the hospital file has no usable rates. FROM FILE = p10–p90 of payer-negotiated radiologist (mod-26) rates in that hospital’s own price file (≥10 rates). How we estimate

CT chest with contrast · CPT 71260

RAYUS global cash (scan + read): $850.00 · price file

Metro hospital facility-cash median: $431.81 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra).

Radiologist read = CMS CY2026 Medicare physician fee for Minnesota, CPT 71260-26 ($52.53), shown as 1×–3× ESTIMATE where the hospital file has no usable rates. FROM FILE = p10–p90 of payer-negotiated radiologist (mod-26) rates in that hospital’s own price file (≥10 rates). How we estimate

CT abdomen & pelvis w/o contrast · CPT 74176

RAYUS global cash (scan + read): $1,000.00 · price file

Metro hospital facility-cash median: $541.85 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra).

Radiologist read = CMS CY2026 Medicare physician fee for Minnesota, CPT 74176-26 ($78.29), shown as 1×–3× ESTIMATE where the hospital file has no usable rates. FROM FILE = p10–p90 of payer-negotiated radiologist (mod-26) rates in that hospital’s own price file (≥10 rates). How we estimate

CT abdomen & pelvis with contrast · CPT 74177

RAYUS global cash (scan + read): $1,100.00 · price file

Metro hospital facility-cash median: $706.71 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra).

Radiologist read = CMS CY2026 Medicare physician fee for Minnesota, CPT 74177-26 ($81.86), shown as 1×–3× ESTIMATE where the hospital file has no usable rates. FROM FILE = p10–p90 of payer-negotiated radiologist (mod-26) rates in that hospital’s own price file (≥10 rates). How we estimate

Ultrasound: hospital vs imaging center

Center = RAYUS global cash (scan + read). Hospital = facility cash only (lowest posted discounted-cash rate among hospital-fee rows in the hospital file, Oct 2026; professional / modifier-26 rows excluded) + radiologist read: FROM FILE = p10–p90 of payer-negotiated mod-26 professional rates in that hospital’s own file (≥10 rates), else ESTIMATE = CMS CY2026 Minnesota Medicare fee for the code with modifier 26, ×1–3. How we estimate

Ultrasound, complete abdomen · CPT 76700

RAYUS Radiology (Minnesota centers incl. Edina; St. Louis Park; Maple Grove; Eagan) global cash (scan + read): $310.00 · price file · 2026-08

Metro hospital US facility-cash median: $303.55 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra). Read ESTIMATE $36.75–$110 (CPT 76700-26).

Ultrasound, complete pelvis (non-OB) · CPT 76856

RAYUS Radiology (Minnesota centers incl. Edina; St. Louis Park; Maple Grove; Eagan) global cash (scan + read): $310.00 · price file · 2026-08

Metro hospital US facility-cash median: $229.38 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra). Read ESTIMATE $31.71–$95 (CPT 76856-26).

Ultrasound, soft tissue head/neck (thyroid) · CPT 76536

RAYUS Radiology (Minnesota centers incl. Edina; St. Louis Park; Maple Grove; Eagan) global cash (scan + read): $310.00 · price file · 2026-08

Metro hospital US facility-cash median: $259.47 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra). Read ESTIMATE $25.88–$78 (CPT 76536-26).

Ultrasound, breast, limited · CPT 76642

RAYUS Radiology (Minnesota centers incl. Edina; St. Louis Park; Maple Grove; Eagan) global cash (scan + read): $310.00 · price file · 2026-08

Metro hospital US facility-cash median: $198.10 across 19 hospitals (facility only — radiologist extra). Read ESTIMATE $30.69–$92 (CPT 76642-26).

Gaps

• Sources: Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI) is now RAYUS, and the Minnesota centers share one posted RAYUS MN price file (Aug 2026). Affordable MRI and Diagnostic Imaging Center – Brooklyn Center are the same address (2781 Freeway Blvd Ste 160), listed once. Consulting Radiologists (CRL) has no public CPT cash list and no freestanding MRI/CT, so it is not listed.
• Hospital CT radiologist fees are ESTIMATES (CMS 2026 MN Medicare ×1–3) unless a FROM FILE range is shown for that hospital.
• Hospital CT, ultrasound, MRI, colonoscopy and ER facility prices use hospital-fee rows only: rows with billing class “professional” or modifier 26 are excluded (re-extracted Oct 30, 2026; earlier versions mixed in doctor-fee rows and understated some hospitals).
• Hospital ultrasound radiologist reads are FROM FILE where the hospital posts ≥10 mod-26 professional rates (CSV files only so far), otherwise ESTIMATES (CMS 2026 MN mod-26 ×1–3). Hospital rows with cash under $25 (likely unit/placeholder) are left out.
• Affordable MRI and Radiology Assist did not post CT or ultrasound cash prices we could find.

MRI: hospital vs imaging center →

Imaging price FAQ

What does “facility cash” mean?

The lowest discounted cash (self-pay) rate a hospital posts for the scan itself in its own price file. It covers the machine, room and technologist, not the doctor who reads the images.

Why is the RAYUS price higher than some hospital facility prices?

RAYUS posts a global cash price: scan + radiologist read in one number (RAYUS MN price file, Aug 2026). A hospital facility price leaves the read out, so compare RAYUS with the hospital all-in range, not the facility price alone.

Why does the hospital all-in add a radiologist fee separately?

Hospitals usually bill the radiologist’s read separately (a professional fee, CPT modifier 26). We add it as a range: FROM FILE where the hospital posts enough of those rates, otherwise an ESTIMATE based on Medicare’s Minnesota fee ×1–3. How we estimate

What does VERIFY or “% of charges” mean?

Some files (e.g. Mayo Clinic Health System) list payer rates as a percent of billed charges, not a fixed dollar fee. We show them as posted and mark them VERIFY; what is actually paid may be much lower.

How do I get a firm price?

If you are uninsured or self-pay, you can ask for a written Good Faith Estimate before the scan. See your billing rights.

Facility fee only — doctor/radiologist, anesthesia, and pathology fees are billed separately and are not included. Prices come from each hospital’s own posted standard-charges file, last checked Oct 2026. Negotiated median is across all insurer rates in the file; it is not your plan’s price. Your insurer (Blue Cross, HealthPartners, Medica, UCare, etc.) may pay a different rate, and your cost depends on your deductible and coinsurance. Always ask for a Good Faith Estimate. Facility price = hospital-fee rows only (no “professional” billing class, no modifier 26; where a hospital labels every row professional, the technical/global non-26 rate is used). Re-extracted Oct 30, 2026. Know your billing rights.

How we got these prices · Last updated: Oct 30, 2026 (data files compiled). Data sources: imaging centers’ and hospitals’ own posted price files (machine-readable files parsed Oct 2026); doctor estimates from CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule (RVU26D, Oct 2026 release).