Prices at 5 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $157 — 76% above the US median ($89), roughly 11.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | $35 | $66 | — | — | — |
| St. Vincent's East | Birmingham, AL | $157 | $20 | ★ 3/5 | 156 min | 14.6% |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $157 | $20 | ★ 3/5 | 245 min | 15.3% |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated August 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $157 — about 11.7× the Medicare rate ($13). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($27).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $187 list price could save about $30 (16%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Birmingham
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Clifton, M.D. | Family Practice | Birmingham, AL | 561 |
| Song Yu, M.D. | Family Practice | Birmingham, AL | 544 |
| Nicholas Mcqueen, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 504 |
| Jeremy Smith, MD | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 501 |
| James Crenshaw, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 419 |
| Frank Malensek, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 412 |
| Michael Han, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 410 |
| Morris Roebuck, MD | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 397 |
| Craig Rich, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 353 |
| Shawn Smith, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 337 |
| Mary Strawn, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 320 |
| Charles Lichty, M.D. | Internal Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 318 |
All Lipid (cholesterol) panel prices in Alabama → · All Lipid (cholesterol) panel prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham