PET Scan Cost: Prices With & Without Insurance

A PET scan is an imaging test that uses a small amount of radioactive tracer to show how tissues are working. It is more involved than a standard X-ray, and its price reflects the tracer, the scanner, and the specialists who run and read it. The price swings widely between facilities.

The figures below come from New Choice Health and MDsave. They are cash or package prices, not what an insurer pays, so they help you compare quotes but do not predict a bill with coverage.

Without insurance, you pay the facility's self-pay rate. The cash range above is wide, and the two sources describe it a bit differently. One reports a typical figure for a whole body scan, while the other reports an estimated national average that is higher than the top of its own listed range, so the two cannot be read as one scale.

Before booking, ask whether the quote covers the tracer, the scan, and the physician's reading. Each can be a separate charge, and an unbundled bill can come out well above the headline price.

Where you go matters. Prices in major metro areas span a broad range, and even within a city, the lowest and highest quotes can be far apart.

These are ranges for a whole body scan in each city. A hospital in the same city can charge more than an independent imaging center, so quotes from several places are worth getting.

Insured costs depend on your deductible, coinsurance, and network. Insurers often require prior authorization for PET scans, so yours may review the order before approving it. None of the sources used here report insured prices, so no insured figure appears on this page.

To estimate your share, ask your insurer for the allowed amount at the specific facility and the billing code the facility will use. Then ask the facility whether the radiologist and the tracer are billed separately.

Medicare coverage for PET scans depends on the reason for the scan and on the type of Medicare plan you have. The sources used here do not publish Medicare prices. For coverage rules, see Medicare.gov. A licensed physician and your plan can tell you whether a specific scan is covered and what you would owe.

The two sources measure different things. One focuses on whole body scans, while the other covers PET scan cash prices in general.

Some of the difference comes from the type of scan, the region, and whether the price bundles the tracer and the reading. Check what each row includes before comparing.

• Scan area. A whole body scan costs more than a scan of one region.
• Tracer. The radioactive tracer is part of the cost, and the type used can change the price.
• Facility type. Hospitals often charge more than independent imaging centers.
• Location. Prices differ by city and state.
• Combined imaging. Many centers pair PET with CT, which can change the billing.
• Physician's reading. It may be billed on its own line.
• Prior authorization and referral. Your ordering doctor and your insurer shape the process.

Because a PET scan costs more than most imaging, it helps to settle the money side before the appointment. Request the quote in writing, ask for the billing codes the facility plans to use, and check them against what your insurer has authorized. If the scan is ordered urgently, ask the hospital's financial counselor about assistance programs. Many hospitals have them, and eligibility rules differ by hospital.

After the scan, compare the final bill with the original quote. A mismatch is worth a call to the billing office, since errors and unbundled charges do happen.

• Ask for the self-pay price in writing.
• Confirm what is bundled: the tracer, the scan, and the reading.
• Ask whether the facility is in network with your plan.
• Call both a hospital and an independent imaging center.
• Ask about payment plans or financial assistance, which many hospitals offer.

A licensed physician decides whether a PET scan is appropriate and which type you need.