CT scan of the head, no contrast in San Diego, CA costs $133 to $2,786. Here's every hospital's price.
4 hospitals in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area publish a cash price for ct scan of the head, no contrast (CPT 70450). We read their files every month so you don't have to.
Across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, 4 hospitals list a cash price for ct scan of the head, no contrast (CPT 70450). The lowest is $133 at Paradise Valley Hospital, the median is $2,786 and the highest is $2,786 at Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctr. The most expensive hospital lists 21 times the cheapest for the same code.
The San Diego, CA median of $2,786 is 188% above the national median of $968 across 558 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
4 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $1 to $3,640. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.
The files behind these prices are dated between April 2026 and September 2026. 12 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.
Sorted by cash price
Hospital facility fee onlyNational City · 29 mi · File Sep 2026
La Mesa · 22 mi · File Apr 2026
Chula Vista · 31 mi · File Apr 2026
Coronado · 32 mi · File Apr 2026
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for CPT 70450. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.
Cash vs. insured
Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.
What to say on the phone
"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 70450, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."
About ct scan of the head, no contrast
CPT 70450 is a CT scan of the head without contrast dye. It takes a few minutes and is the standard first test for head injury, sudden severe headache, stroke symptoms and confusion. No preparation is needed and there is no injection.
What the price covers
The hospital's price is the technical fee: the scanner, the technologist and the room. The radiologist's reading is billed separately (the same code with a professional modifier), typically $50 to $200 on top. Some hospitals list a global price that includes both; the file does not always say which, so ask.
Why prices vary
Imaging is where hospital prices diverge most. A head CT at a hospital-owned imaging center can list at a fraction of the same scan in the hospital's main building, and a freestanding imaging center, which does not publish these files, is often cheaper again. Emergency-department scans carry additional facility charges not shown here.
Questions to ask
- Is this the self-pay price for the scan alone, or scan plus radiologist reading?
- Is the price the same at the hospital's outpatient imaging locations?
- Will I be charged an emergency-department fee if the scan is done there?
Hospitals in San Diego, CA without a price for this procedure
Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.
- Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San DiegoNo price file found
- Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San MarcosNo website on record
- Palomar Health Downtown CampusWebsite blocks automated reading
- Palomar Medical Center PowayWebsite blocks automated reading
- Rady Children's Hospital - San DiegoFile in an unsupported format
- Scripps Green HospitalFile found, not read yet
- Scripps Memorial Hospital - EncinitasFile found, not read yet
- Scripps Memorial Hospital La JollaFile found, not read yet
- Scripps Mercy HospitalFile found, not read yet
- Sharp Memorial HospitalFile found, not read yet
- Tri-City Medical Centercode not in file
- UC San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med CtrNo price file found