Prices at 4 hospitals in Boston, MA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $406 — 37% above the US median ($297), roughly 10.1× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Shriners' Hospital for Children-Boston | Boston, MA | $307 | $119 | — | — | — |
| Tufts Medical Center | Boston, MA | $362 | $251 | ★ 2/5 | 208 min | — |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | Boston, MA | $451 | $186 | ★ 5/5 | 288 min | — |
| Brigham and Women's Hospital | Boston, MA | $451 | $186 | ★ 5/5 | 300 min | — |
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 October 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 $406 — about 10.1× 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 $559 list price could save about $153 (27%).
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 Boston
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Brooks | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 565 |
| Sowmya Varada, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 411 |
| Michael Geary, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 356 |
| Sara Maria Bahouth, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 275 |
| Kirstin Small, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 263 |
| Mihran Artinian, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 245 |
| Peter Doubilet, M.D., PHD | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 237 |
| Jennifer Thomas, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 204 |
| Daniel Carr, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 192 |
| Aaron Thomas | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 182 |
| James Strahan, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 182 |
| Shahein Tajmir, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Boston, MA | 173 |
All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices in Massachusetts → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices (national) · All hospitals in Boston