Aetna head CT cost in California (2026): what Aetna pays
Aetna head CT cost in California, 2026: Aetna's California median for a head CT at doctors' offices and imaging centers is $220. By area, its median runs from $191 (Los Angeles) to $242 (Oakland). That is above the typical rate, $202, across the insurers other than Anthem. Original Medicare pays $121 to $142.
Aetna rate by area
| Area | Aetna median, middle half | Billing entities | Typical (excl. Anthem) | Original Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $220 $133 to $275 | 120 | $194 | $140 |
| Oakland | $242 $180 to $321 | 47 | $227 | $140 |
| San Jose | $220 $144 to $295 | 169 | $201 | $142 |
| Los Angeles | $191 $137 to $272 | 336 | $189 | $121 |
Providers within 20 miles of each downtown. Typical (excl. Anthem): the middle of the insurer medians in that area, leaving out Anthem's rate menu.
Your plan's price
Aetna has many contracts, and your plan uses one of them. Most providers' rates fall in the middle half shown above; the rate for your plan can be higher or lower. For a plan-specific estimate, sign in to Aetna's Find Care cost estimates.
What you would actually pay
The negotiated rate is the total the provider is paid. Your share depends on your plan. If you have not met your deductible, you usually pay the whole negotiated rate: at a $220 rate, that is $220. Once the deductible is met, coinsurance applies: at 20% coinsurance you would pay $44 and the insurer the rest. Plans with a flat copay for this service charge the copay instead.
Going out of network is different. The provider has no agreed rate with your insurer, so they can usually bill their full listed price. Federal and California law limit that in emergencies, for out-of-network clinicians at in-network hospitals and surgery centers and, under California-regulated plans, at other in-network facilities such as imaging centers and labs. Many HMO and EPO plans pay nothing for out-of-network care.
About a head CT
A CT scan of the head without contrast dye. It is fast and widely available, and is often used after a head injury, for a sudden severe headache, or to check for bleeding. Billing code: CPT 70450.
What the price covers
- Rates here are for the whole service billed as one charge: the scan and the radiologist's reading.
- Head CTs done in an emergency room are billed at the hospital's own, usually higher, rates plus the emergency visit. This page covers offices and imaging centers only.
- A head CT with contrast (CPT 70460) is a different code.
Where these numbers come from
Rates come from the price transparency files Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna publish. We clean the files before summarizing them and only show an insurer when enough providers report a rate. Medicare figures are from the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule. More on how these pages are built.