Prices at 3 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $186 — 28% below the US median ($258), roughly 1.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Vincent's East | Birmingham, AL | $186 | $407 | ★ 3/5 | 158 min | — |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $186 | $407 | ★ 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 $186 — about 1.0× the Medicare rate ($177). Reasonable. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($355).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $503 list price could save about $317 (63%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Mason, MD | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 299 |
| Michael Albert, MD | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 207 |
| Blythe Monheit, M.D. | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 207 |
| Monte Ketchum, D.O | Family Practice | Birmingham, AL | 190 |
| Brian Capogna, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 178 |
| Mathew Sapp, M.D. | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 177 |
| Kyle Gennaro, M.D. | Urology | Birmingham, AL | 173 |
| Richard Feist, MD | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 172 |
| Jeffrey Fuller, MD | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 170 |
| Richard Martindale, M.D. | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 168 |
| Robert Knox, M.D. | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 163 |
| Ariana Diamond, M.D. | Ophthalmology | Birmingham, AL | 157 |
All Office visit, new patient (level 4) prices in Alabama → · All Office visit, new patient (level 4) prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham