Prices at 10 hospitals in Austin, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $351 — 18% above the US median ($298), roughly 8.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Hills Surgical Hospital | Austin, TX | $146 | $153 | — | — | 14.4% |
| Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin | Austin, TX | $347 | $40 | ★ 3/5 | 186 min | 14.3% |
| Dell Seton Med Center at the University of Tx | Austin, TX | $347 | $40 | ★ 4/5 | 233 min | 14.9% |
| Ascension Seton Southwest | Austin, TX | $347 | $40 | — | 134 min | 14.8% |
| Ascension Seton Northwest | Austin, TX | $347 | $40 | ★ 4/5 | 159 min | 14.4% |
| Dell Children's Medical Center | Austin, TX | $355 | $97 | — | — | — |
| Texas Childrens Hospital North Austin Campus | Austin, TX | $450 | $429 | — | — | — |
| North Austin Medical Center | Austin, TX | $471 | $89 | ★ 3/5 | 156 min | 14.4% |
| St David's Medical Center | Austin, TX | $1,158 | $245 | ★ 4/5 | 161 min | 15.0% |
| St David's South Austin Medical Center | Austin, TX | $1,374 | $245 | ★ 3/5 | 149 min | 15.2% |
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 July 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 $351 — about 8.7× the Medicare rate ($40). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($81).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $963 list price could save about $612 (64%).
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 Austin
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Moghimi, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Austin, TX | 385 |
| David Shaw, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 309 |
| Christopher Vije, MD | Pain Management | Austin, TX | 175 |
| Tariq Alam, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 135 |
| Okay Onan, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Austin, TX | 127 |
| Kellan Schallert, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 125 |
| Alexander Covington | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 120 |
| Richard Wupperman, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Austin, TX | 118 |
| Rita Patel, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Austin, TX | 96 |
| Michael Farris, P.A. | Physician Assistant | Austin, TX | 89 |
| Russell Putnam, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 80 |
| Kristin Casey, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Austin, TX | 76 |
All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices in Texas → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices (national) · All hospitals in Austin