Prices at 5 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $262 — 12% below the US median ($298), roughly 6.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | $201 | $364 | — | — | — |
| St. Vincent's East | Birmingham, AL | $262 | $110 | ★ 3/5 | 156 min | 14.6% |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $262 | $110 | ★ 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 $262 — about 6.5× the Medicare rate ($40). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($81).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $708 list price could save about $446 (63%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Jones, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 274 |
| Charles Carnel, MD | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Birmingham, AL | 256 |
| Mark Downey, MD | Interventional Pain Management | Birmingham, AL | 189 |
| Perry Savage, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 164 |
| Charlie Talbert, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 140 |
| Stephen Gray, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Birmingham, AL | 132 |
| Benjamin Euwer, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Birmingham, AL | 108 |
| Rachel Bass | Diagnostic Radiology | Birmingham, AL | 107 |
| Mark Elkus, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 105 |
| James Bowman, M.D./ PHD | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 93 |
| Daniel Kim, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 90 |
| Carlton Smith, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Birmingham, AL | 82 |
All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices in Alabama → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham