Prices at 5 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,319 — 121% above the US median ($596), roughly 19.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | $351 | $648 | — | — | — |
| St. Vincent's East | Birmingham, AL | $1,319 | $445 | ★ 3/5 | 158 min | — |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $1,319 | $445 | ★ 3/5 | 243 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 $1,319 — about 19.0× the Medicare rate ($69). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($139).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,532 list price could save about $213 (14%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Beckedorf | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 158 |
| Willie Gilford, MD | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 107 |
| Timothy Turner, M.D. | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 88 |
| John Obert | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 79 |
| Jones King, M.D. | Family Practice | Birmingham, AL | 68 |
| Donald Abele, MD | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 68 |
| John Gullett, MD | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 61 |
| Hilary Beason, M.D. | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 52 |
| Julie Brown, MD | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 48 |
| Zoe Fornberg, MSPAS, PA-C, MPH | Physician Assistant | Birmingham, AL | 46 |
| Laine Mcdonald | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 46 |
| Matthew Price, MD | Emergency Medicine | Birmingham, AL | 46 |
All Emergency department visit (level 3) prices in Alabama → · All Emergency department visit (level 3) prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham