Hospital Price Lookup

CT Scan of the Head/Brain (without contrast) cost in Birmingham, AL

Typical negotiated $236 · range $49–$1,649 · 7 hospitals · outpatient (same-day) · billed as CPT 70450 · hospital files updated through March 2026

In the Birmingham area, a Head CT typically has an insurer-negotiated price around $236 across 7 hospitals, usually $168–$236 (full spread $49–$1,649). Where hospitals publish a self-pay cash price, it runs $677–$1,108 (median $677). The chargemaster "list" price is far higher — a median of $1,829, which almost no one pays. Figures come from the hospitals' own price-transparency files; your cost depends on your insurance, the exact service, and the hospital.

  1. Chargemaster list price
    $1,829
    range $1,829–$2,652 · 6 hospitals

    The hospital's undiscounted sticker rate — almost no one actually pays it.

  2. Self-pay cash price
    $677
    range $677–$1,108 · 5 hospitals

    What an uninsured patient paying the hospital directly is offered.

  3. Typical negotiated price most representative
    $236
    range $49–$1,649 · 7 hospitals

    What health insurers actually pay, on average — the most representative figure.

How to read these prices

The negotiated price — a median of $236 here, usually $168–$236 — is the most representative figure: it is what health insurers actually pay Birmingham-area hospitals for a Head CT, averaged so a single outlier contract cannot distort it.

The chargemaster list price (median $1,829) is far higher. The chargemaster (list) price is the hospital's undiscounted sticker rate. Almost no one actually pays it — insurers negotiate it down and self-pay patients are usually offered the cash price — but it shows how large the discount off list can be.

The self-pay cash price (median $677) is the one you can often ask for directly. A self-pay (cash) price is what the hospital will accept from an uninsured patient who pays directly; hospitals publish one only for some services, and it is often lower than the insurer-negotiated price.

Important — a price reference, not a bill

These figures are aggregated from hospitals' public price-transparency files — not a quote, a bill, an insurance benefit determination, or medical advice. Your actual out-of-pocket cost depends on your insurance plan (deductible, copay, coinsurance, network), the exact service and any complications, and which hospital you use. Always confirm price and coverage with the hospital and your insurer before care.

Head CT price by hospital — Birmingham area

Every Birmingham-area hospital reporting a Head CT in its price-transparency file, sorted by negotiated price. A dash means the hospital did not report that price — it is never filled with a guess.
Hospital Negotiated Cash List price
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF ALABAMA $49 $1,108 $2,578
ST VINCENTS BLOUNT $101 — —
ST VINCENT'S BIRMINGHAM $236 $677 $1,829
ST VINCENT'S EAST $236 $677 $1,829
ST VINCENT'S ST CLAIR $236 $677 $1,829
ST VINCENT'S CHILTON $236 $677 $1,829
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA HOSPITAL $1,649 — $2,652

Source: hospitals' own machine-readable Standard Charges files, published under the U.S. Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR §180.50). Most recent hospital file in this dataset: July 2026. Prices are references, not quotes or bills, and never medical or financial advice — where a hospital reports no price, nothing is shown rather than a guess.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Head CT cost in Birmingham?
Across 7 Birmingham-area hospitals, the typical insurer-negotiated price for a Head CT is about $236, usually $168–$236. The self-pay cash price, where published, runs $677–$1,108. These figures are read from the hospitals' own price-transparency files.
Why is the hospital "list price" for a Head CT so much higher?
The chargemaster list price (a median of $1,829 here) is the undiscounted sticker rate. The chargemaster (list) price is the hospital's undiscounted sticker rate. Almost no one actually pays it — insurers negotiate it down and self-pay patients are usually offered the cash price — but it shows how large the discount off list can be.
What's the difference between the cash price and the negotiated price?
A self-pay (cash) price is what the hospital will accept from an uninsured patient who pays directly; hospitals publish one only for some services, and it is often lower than the insurer-negotiated price. Here the cash median is $677 and the negotiated typical is $236.
Is this what I will actually pay?
Not necessarily. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your insurance plan (deductible, copay, coinsurance, and network), the exact service performed, and which hospital you use. Use these figures to compare and to ask informed questions — they are references, not a bill or a quote.
Where do these prices come from?
Every figure is read from the hospitals' own machine-readable Standard Charges files, published under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR §180.50). Each hospital's file carries its own last-updated date, and prices are refreshed as hospitals republish. No figure on this page is estimated or modeled.

Head CT cost in other metros

Other procedure prices in Birmingham