A PET scan typically costs between $1,300 and $4,600 or more without insurance. The exact price depends on where you live, the type of facility performing the scan, whether it’s combined with a CT scan, and what your insurance covers. That’s a wide range, so understanding what drives the price can help you find the best deal for your situation.
What Determines the Price
Several factors push a PET scan toward the low or high end of that range. The biggest ones are the facility type, your geographic location, and whether the scan is a standalone PET or a combined PET/CT (which is more common today and typically costs more because it merges two imaging technologies into one session).
Hospital-based imaging departments generally charge more than freestanding imaging centers. Hospitals carry higher overhead costs and often apply facility fees on top of the scan itself. An independent imaging center performing the same scan with the same equipment may bill significantly less. If you’re paying out of pocket or facing a large deductible, calling both types of facilities in your area for a price quote is one of the most effective ways to lower the cost.
Geography matters too. Prices in major metropolitan areas and high cost-of-living states tend to run higher than in rural areas or states with lower healthcare costs overall. The same scan can vary by thousands of dollars depending on the city, so it’s worth checking prices at multiple facilities if you have options within driving distance.
The radioactive tracer used during the scan also affects the bill. The most common tracer is a sugar-based compound that highlights areas of high metabolic activity, which is the standard for cancer imaging. Newer or more specialized tracers designed for specific cancer types or cardiac conditions can be more expensive to produce and may push the total cost higher.
What Insurance Typically Covers
Most private insurance plans cover PET scans when they’re deemed medically necessary, but “medically necessary” has a specific definition that varies by insurer. For cancer-related scans, insurers like Aetna generally require that the scan will change clinical management, that standard imaging (CT, MRI, or ultrasound) has already been done and left the diagnosis uncertain, or that the PET scan is replacing rather than duplicating conventional imaging. A tissue biopsy confirming cancer is usually required before most insurers will approve a PET scan for staging.
For follow-up scans after cancer treatment, coverage typically applies when the scan is checking for residual disease, investigating signs of recurrence, or mapping the extent of a recurrence. PET scans for heart conditions are also covered in certain circumstances, such as evaluating blood flow to the heart or assessing whether damaged heart muscle is still viable before a procedure to restore blood flow.
Prior authorization, sometimes called precertification, is common. This means your doctor’s office submits a request to your insurer explaining why the scan is needed, and the insurer approves it before the appointment. Skipping this step can result in a denied claim, leaving you responsible for the full cost. Always confirm with your insurance company that authorization is in place before the scan date.
If your scan is approved, your out-of-pocket cost depends on your plan’s deductible, copay, or coinsurance. With a 20% coinsurance rate, for example, you might owe $260 to $920 on a scan billed at $1,300 to $4,600. If you haven’t met your annual deductible yet, you could owe the full amount up to that deductible limit.
Medicare and PET Scans
Medicare Part B covers PET scans for a range of approved conditions, including many cancers, certain heart conditions, and some neurological evaluations. Under standard Part B coverage, Medicare pays 80% of the approved amount after you’ve met the annual Part B deductible. You’re responsible for the remaining 20% coinsurance unless you have a Medigap (supplemental) policy that picks up part or all of that share.
Medicare’s approved payment amount is typically lower than what a facility would charge a self-pay patient, so even the 20% coinsurance on a Medicare-covered scan is usually far less than the uninsured price.
How to Lower Your Out-of-Pocket Cost
If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you have several options worth exploring before accepting the first price you’re quoted.
- Compare facilities. Call both hospital imaging departments and independent imaging centers in your area. Ask for the self-pay or cash-pay price specifically, as this is often lower than the amount billed to insurance.
- Ask about payment plans. Many imaging centers offer interest-free installment plans that break the total into monthly payments.
- Look into discount programs. RadiologyAssist, for example, is a free program for underinsured patients that offers PET scans starting at $1,570 for a full-body scan. It cannot be used alongside Medicare or Medicaid, but it’s designed for people who have no coverage or whose insurance leaves a large gap.
- Negotiate directly. If you’re paying cash, many facilities will reduce the price by 20% to 40% simply because they avoid the administrative cost of processing insurance claims. It’s always worth asking.
- Check hospital financial assistance programs. Nonprofit hospitals are required to offer charity care or financial assistance to patients who qualify based on income. This can reduce or eliminate the cost entirely.
What You’re Actually Paying For
A PET scan bill includes several components, which is part of why the total can seem high. The radioactive tracer itself is expensive to produce because it has a short shelf life and often needs to be manufactured the same day at a specialized pharmacy. On top of that, there’s the imaging facility’s equipment and operational costs, a technical fee for performing the scan, and a professional fee for the radiologist who reads and interprets the images. If you receive a combined PET/CT, there may be separate charges for each component.
When reviewing a bill or an estimate, ask whether the quote includes all of these components or just the facility fee. Some centers advertise a lower base price but bill the radiologist’s reading fee separately, which can add several hundred dollars.