Prices at 10 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,726 — 408% above the US median ($340), roughly 36.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital | Houston, TX | $344 | $147 | — | — | 14.4% |
| Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center | Houston, TX | $602 | — | ★ 4/5 | 252 min | 14.6% |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | Houston, TX | $602 | — | ★ 3/5 | 229 min | 14.8% |
| St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage | Houston, TX | $820 | $196 | ★ 4/5 | 214 min | 15.0% |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Houston, TX | $1,230 | $131 | ★ 3/5 | 189 min | 15.2% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest | Houston, TX | $2,223 | $153 | ★ 2/5 | 140 min | 15.6% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare West | Houston, TX | $2,223 | $153 | ★ 1/5 | 112 min | 15.6% |
| Healthbridge Childrens's Hospital of Houston | Houston, TX | $2,223 | $153 | — | — | — |
| Texas Orthopedic Hospital | Houston, TX | $2,448 | $142 | — | 106 min | 14.1% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center | Houston, TX | $3,264 | $248 | ★ 4/5 | 80 min | 14.9% |
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)
Typical cash price here is $1,726 — about 36.8× the Medicare rate ($47). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($94).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,223 list price could save about $497 (22%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices in Texas → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Houston