Prices at 10 hospitals in Austin, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $515 — 29% above the US median ($401), roughly 9.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Austin Medical Center | Austin, TX | $156 | $83 | ★ 3/5 | 156 min | 14.4% |
| Dell Children's Medical Center | Austin, TX | $433 | $103 | — | — | — |
| Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin | Austin, TX | $515 | $101 | ★ 3/5 | 186 min | 14.3% |
| Dell Seton Med Center at the University of Tx | Austin, TX | $515 | $51 | ★ 4/5 | 233 min | 14.9% |
| Ascension Seton Southwest | Austin, TX | $515 | $99 | — | 134 min | 14.8% |
| Ascension Seton Northwest | Austin, TX | $515 | $97 | ★ 4/5 | 159 min | 14.4% |
| Texas Childrens Hospital North Austin Campus | Austin, TX | $563 | $538 | — | — | — |
| St David's Medical Center | Austin, TX | $1,571 | $245 | ★ 4/5 | 161 min | 15.0% |
| St David's South Austin Medical Center | Austin, TX | $1,677 | $275 | ★ 3/5 | 149 min | 15.2% |
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 $515 — about 9.6× the Medicare rate ($53). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($107).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,430 list price could save about $915 (64%).
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 Austin
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tariq Alam, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 134 |
| Richard Stovall, M.D. | Neurosurgery | Austin, TX | 94 |
| Erik Diebolt, D.O. | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Austin, TX | 66 |
| Kenneth Bunch, M.D. | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Austin, TX | 47 |
| Jerry So, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 25 |
| Ai Mukai, M.D. | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Austin, TX | 20 |
| Anant Patel, M.D. | Neurosurgery | Austin, TX | 14 |
| Rachel Smith | Physician Assistant | Austin, TX | 13 |
| Richard Wupperman, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Austin, TX | 11 |
All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (4+ views) prices in Texas → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (4+ views) prices (national) · All hospitals in Austin