- A calcium score is a quick CT scan that helps decide whether to start a statin. US guidelines suggest it for adults 40 to 75 at intermediate risk, not for everyone.
- In the US it costs about $100 to $400 and is usually paid out of pocket. Flying to Colombia for one alone makes no financial sense.
- Colombian checkup packages we found run about $523 to $1,250, against $995 to $25,000 for US hospital executive programs. But the Colombian packages listed include neither a calcium score nor an echo.
- A checkup makes sense if you are already in Colombia, not as a reason to go.
What a calcium score is
A coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is a non-contrast CT scan of the heart that measures calcified plaque in the coronary arteries, reported in Agatston units1. The scan itself takes a few minutes and the visit about 10 to 15 minutes2. The radiation dose is about 0.89 mSv, which the American Academy of Family Physicians compares to a mammogram1.
It is not the same as a coronary CT angiogram, which uses contrast dye to look at the arteries themselves and costs more: one US cash-price marketplace lists CT angiography at about $250 to $1,4503.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
The 2018 American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology cholesterol guideline suggests considering a calcium score for adults aged 40 to 75 without diabetes, with LDL cholesterol of 70 to 189 mg/dL and a 10-year risk of 7.5% to 19.9%, when the decision about starting a statin is uncertain4. The 2019 prevention guideline extends that to selected people at borderline risk, and the ACC is explicit that it is a decision aid in select adults, not a screening test for all5.
Cleveland Clinic lists people who should not get one: anyone pregnant, people with no risk factors, and people who already have a coronary disease diagnosis or symptoms2. If you have chest pain or shortness of breath, you need an evaluation of those symptoms, not a calcium score.
What the score means
| Score | What US guidelines say about statins |
|---|---|
| 0 | A statin may be withheld or delayed, except in smokers, people with diabetes, and people with a strong family history of early heart disease6,5. |
| 1 to 99 | Favors a statin, especially from age 556. |
| 100 or more | A statin is indicated unless the conversation with your clinician points elsewhere. The same applies to a score at or above the 75th percentile6. |
Cleveland Clinic's patient guide uses broader bands: 0 is normal, 1 to 100 mild, 100 to 400 moderate, and over 400 strong evidence of coronary disease2. The 2019 guideline says a repeat scan in about five years may have some value, though the data are limited5.
What it costs
In the US, GoodRx reports that a calcium score typically costs $100 to $400, and that most insurance plans, including original Medicare, typically do not cover it7. One cash-price marketplace lists a national range of $48 to $3978.
We searched Colombian price lists, imaging centers and directories in Spanish and English and could not find a published price for a calcium score or a coronary CT angiogram in Colombia. We will not guess. If you want one while you are in Colombia, ask us and we will get current written prices.
At $100 to $400 at home, a calcium score is not worth a flight. It is worth adding to a trip you are already taking.
Checkup packages: Colombia vs US executive programs
Executive health programs bundle tests into a day or two. The prices are far apart, and so are the contents.
US prices were published in a 2020 JAMA Internal Medicine study. Colombian prices are one Barranquilla clinic's 2026 list, converted at 3,306.86 COP per USD. None of the Colombian packages listed includes a calcium score or an echocardiogram.
Sources: TCTMD, Clínica Portoazul (Barranquilla), Noticias Caracol.
US. A 2020 study in JAMA Internal Medicine found executive cardiovascular screening programs at top US hospitals priced from $995 at Houston Methodist to $25,000 for Cleveland Clinic's premier program, with Brigham and Women's at $2,500, Northwestern at $3,195, Vanderbilt at $3,500 and Mayo Clinic at $5,000 to $11,0009. The study's main point was that many of these programs offer tests that guidelines do not support for people without symptoms9. More testing is not automatically better.
Colombia. Clínica Portoazul in Barranquilla publishes 2026 executive checkup prices: a basic package with an ECG and internal medicine review at 1,728,000 pesos (about $523), a standard package adding a stress test and cardiology consult at 2,920,000 pesos (about $883), and an advanced package at 4,134,000 pesos (about $1,250)10,11. None of the listed packages includes a calcium score or an echocardiogram.
Individual tests are inexpensive too. An undated published tariff from a Barranquilla imaging center lists a stress echocardiogram at 1,232,500 pesos for private patients, about $37312, against a US cash-price range of about $330 to $1,87013. In Medellín, individual cardiologists list a resting echocardiogram at roughly 250,000 to 620,000 pesos, about $76 to $18714. These are single published lists, so treat them as indicative.
When a checkup in Colombia makes sense
- You live in Colombia, or spend long stretches here, and want a baseline from a cardiologist who can see you again.
- You are already coming for another reason, such as dental work or a family visit, and can fit in a calcium score and a consult.
- Your doctor at home suggested specific tests that your insurance will not cover, and the Colombian prices are meaningfully lower once you have them in writing.
It makes less sense as a reason to fly, or as a broad package of tests nobody recommended. If a test finds something, you will want follow-up with a doctor who knows you, which usually means at home.
Quick answers
What is a coronary calcium score?
A coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is a quick, non-contrast CT scan that measures calcified plaque in the heart's arteries, reported in Agatston units. The radiation dose is about 0.89 mSv, similar to a mammogram.
Who should get a calcium score?
US guidelines suggest considering a calcium score for adults aged 40 to 75 at intermediate risk of heart disease when the decision about starting a statin is uncertain. It is a decision aid, not a screening test for everyone. Cleveland Clinic advises against it for people who already have heart disease or symptoms.
How much does a calcium score cost?
In the US, a calcium score typically costs $100 to $400 and is usually not covered by insurance, including original Medicare. We could not find a published price for a calcium score in Colombia.
How much is a heart checkup in Colombia?
One Barranquilla clinic's 2026 executive checkup packages run about $523 to $1,250. None of its listed packages includes a calcium score or an echocardiogram, so compare contents, not just prices.
Sources
- Choi, Coronary artery calcium scoring, Am Fam Physician 2022. aafp.org
- Cleveland Clinic: Calcium score screening heart scan. my.clevelandclinic.org
- MDsave: CT angiography (cardiac) cash prices. mdsave.com
- 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. ahajournals.org
- ACC: Ten points to remember, 2019 ACC/AHA primary prevention guideline. acc.org
- SCCT: Guideline recommends CAC scoring when statin benefit is uncertain. scct.org
- GoodRx: How much does a coronary artery calcium scan cost? (2025). goodrx.com
- MDsave: cardiac CT calcium scoring cash prices. mdsave.com
- TCTMD: executive cardiovascular screening at top US hospitals (Ge and Brown, JAMA Intern Med 2020). tctmd.com
- Clínica Portoazul (Barranquilla): Chequeo Ejecutivo 2026 price list. clinicaportoazul.com
- Noticias Caracol: TRM for September 28, 2026 (3,306.86 COP per USD). noticiascaracol.com
- Tamara Imágenes tariff, Universidad del Norte agreement (Barranquilla). uninorte.edu.co
- MDsave: stress echo cash prices. mdsave.com
- Doctoralia: echocardiogram prices in Medellín. doctoralia.co
This article summarizes published guidance and prices for general information. It is not medical advice and has not been reviewed by your doctors. Your cardiologist decides what procedure you need and whether you are fit to travel. Prices are ranges, not quotes. Chest pain or new symptoms: call 911 (US, Canada) or 123 (Colombia).
