Lumbar discectomy cost in Chicago, IL

Prices at 12 hospitals in Chicago, IL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,871 — 73% below the US median ($7,046), roughly 2.1× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics Chicago, IL $1,844 $1,402 ★ 4/5 319 min 15.9%
John H Stroger Jr Hospital Chicago, IL $1,871 $1,307 ★ 2/5 280 min 15.0%
Provident Hospital of Chicago Chicago, IL $1,871 $1,307 222 min 15.5%
Amita Health Resurrection Medical Center Chicago, IL $7,737 $7,738 ★ 3/5 184 min 14.0%
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL $29,780 $7,782 ★ 5/5 327 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 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$6,145
Cash / self-pay
$1,871
Insurer-negotiated
$7,447
Medicare pays
$898
$1,855$20,963
Median cash $1,871  ·  Medicare $898  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,871 — about 2.1× the Medicare rate ($898). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($1,796).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $6,145 list price could save about $4,274 (70%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

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

All Lumbar discectomy prices in Illinois → · All Lumbar discectomy prices (national) · All hospitals in Chicago