X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) cost in California

Prices at 180 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $499 — 70% above the US median ($294), roughly 12.4× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Kaweah Health Medical Center Visalia, CA $85 $116 ★ 3/5 275 min 14.4%
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $91 $104 ★ 3/5 190 min 15.0%
Gateways Hosp Mental Health Ctr Los Angeles, CA $100
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $101 $172 110 min 15.0%
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $121 $134 ★ 4/5 259 min 14.8%
St Bernardine Medical Center San Bernardino, CA $121 $135 ★ 2/5 181 min 15.7%
Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 202 min 16.0%
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 250 min 14.9%
Encino Hospital Medical Center Encino, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 135 min 15.6%
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 138 min 16.6%
West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 196 min 16.6%
Huntington Beach Hospital Huntington Beach, CA $133 $134 ★ 1/5 173 min 14.8%
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 214 min 16.5%
Chino Valley Medical Center Chino, CA $133 $134 ★ 4/5 173 min 16.1%
San Dimas Community Hospital San Dimas, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 155 min 15.5%
Desert Valley Hospital Victorville, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 173 min 15.8%
Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 153 min 15.8%
Montclair Hospital Medical Center Montclair, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 151 min 15.3%
Shasta Regional Medical Center Redding, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 148 min 15.9%
Adventist Health Tulare Tulare, CA $145 $43 ★ 3/5 195 min 15.0%
Pih Health Downey Hospital Downey, CA $148 $99 ★ 4/5 240 min 16.5%
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $152 $135 ★ 2/5 178 min 16.7%
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $152 $135 ★ 4/5 192 min 15.2%
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Banning, CA $158 $134 ★ 3/5 191 min 14.6%
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $159 128 min 15.0%

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 June 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$951
Cash / self-pay
$499
Insurer-negotiated
$149
Medicare pays
$40
$133$966
Median cash $499  ·  Medicare $40  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $499 — about 12.4× 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 $951 list price could save about $452 (48%).

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

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X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) cost in other states

All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →