DEXA Scan Cost in Washington, DC

A single body-composition DEXA scan in Washington, DC runs roughly $150 to $255. Composition ID in Shaw is the lowest fixed-studio price at $150, GWU’s university exercise lab charges $200, and the Fitnescity marketplace ranges $180-$255 depending on the partner facility. BodySpec’s $39.95 mobile vans are not live in DC yet — the company is taking a waitlist. These are advertised prices that change; confirm current pricing directly with the clinic.

Often, yes — and this is more visible in DC than in many markets. Hospital and bone-density DEXA providers in the DC area generally require a physician’s prescription. For a cash-pay body-composition scan, the dedicated studios (Composition ID, GWU) book you directly, and the Fitnescity marketplace states it will facilitate the physician order “when needed.” If you have known cardiovascular issues, GWU asks for physician consent before testing. Confirm the requirement with the specific clinic when you book.

Among fixed DC studios, Composition ID in Shaw is the lowest at $150 for a single scan, with discounts on multi-scan bundles. GWU’s lab is $200 (with military, first-responder, and student discounts). The lowest theoretical price — BodySpec’s $39.95 mobile van — is not yet available in DC; they are running a waitlist. Cheapest is not always best; also weigh location, equipment, and whether you want bundled testing. Verify current pricing with each provider before booking.

A DEXA scan ordered for bone-density screening can be covered — Medicare Part B covers a bone-mass measurement once every 24 months for people who qualify, and many commercial plans cover osteoporosis screening. A DEXA scan for body composition (body fat and lean mass) is generally considered elective and paid out of pocket. The DC cash prices on this page are body-composition scans. Confirm coverage with your insurer and the clinic.

A full-body composition DEXA scan delivers roughly 4-5 microsieverts (µSv) of radiation, per BodySpec’s published figures; GWU describes its DXA dose as less than 1% of a traditional chest X-ray. For context, the U.S. average background dose is about 8-10 µSv per day. The dose is low, but it is still ionizing radiation — discuss frequency with a clinician if you are pregnant or scan often. This is information, not medical advice.

A DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan measures body fat, lean (muscle) mass, and bone density, and breaks those down by region — arms, legs, and trunk — plus a visceral-fat estimate. UCSF notes DXA is highly accurate compared with most other body-composition methods and tells a clearer story than BMI; in one UCSF figure, 18.5% of women with a normal BMI had excess fat visible on DXA.