Prices at 4 hospitals in Chicago, IL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $151,542 — 103% above the US median ($74,742), roughly 100.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics | Chicago, IL | $151,542 | — | ★ 4/5 | 298 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 $151,542 — about 100.3× the Medicare rate ($1,511). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($3,021).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $216,488 list price could save about $64,946 (30%).
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 Chicago
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory Lopez, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Chicago, IL | 102 |
| Tyler Koski, MD | Neurosurgery | Chicago, IL | 48 |
| Mark Nolden, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Chicago, IL | 42 |
| Janina Locascio, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Chicago, IL | 32 |
| Patrick Palsgrove, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Chicago, IL | 31 |
| Alexandra Morgan, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Chicago, IL | 29 |
| Paul Ackerman, M.D. | Neurosurgery | Chicago, IL | 24 |
| Benson Yang, M.D. | Neurology | Chicago, IL | 23 |
| Daniel Park, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Chicago, IL | 21 |
| Michael Jones, MD | Neurosurgery | Chicago, IL | 19 |
| Najib El Tecle, MD, MS | General Surgery | Chicago, IL | 18 |
| Edward Goldberg, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Chicago, IL | 18 |
All Lower back (lumbar) spinal fusion prices in Illinois → · All Lower back (lumbar) spinal fusion prices (national) · All hospitals in Chicago