Aetna lung cancer screening CT cost in California (2026): what Aetna pays
Aetna lung cancer screening CT cost in California, 2026: Aetna's California median for a lung cancer screening CT at doctors' offices and imaging centers is $185. By area, its median runs from $183 (San Francisco and Los Angeles) to $219 (Oakland). That is below the typical rate, $206, across the insurers other than Anthem. Original Medicare pays $155 to $182.
Aetna rate by area
| Area | Aetna median, middle half | Billing entities | Typical (excl. Anthem) | Original Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $183 $155 to $257 | 95 | $194 | $178 |
| Oakland | $219 $174 to $262 | 40 | $222 | $178 |
| San Jose | $188 $162 to $257 | 132 | $200 | $182 |
| Los Angeles | $183 $146 to $255 | 282 | $195 | $155 |
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.
About a lung cancer screening CT
A yearly low-dose CT of the chest to screen for lung cancer in people without symptoms. It is recommended for adults 50 to 80 who have smoked at least 20 pack-years (for example, a pack a day for 20 years) and still smoke or quit within the past 15 years. Original Medicare covers it for ages 50 to 77 and requires a shared decision-making visit before the first scan. Billing code: CPT 71271.
What the price covers
- Rates here are for the whole service billed as one charge: the scan and the radiologist's reading.
- Under the Affordable Care Act, most plans must cover lung cancer screening with no cost to you when you meet the screening criteria and use an in-network provider. The rates on this page are what the insurer pays the provider, not your share.
- If the screening finds something that needs a closer look, follow-up scans are usually billed as diagnostic tests, where your deductible and coinsurance can apply.
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.