Prices at 11 hospitals in Baltimore, MD, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $255 — 14% below the US median ($297), roughly 6.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Baltimore Medical Center | Baltimore, MD | $83 | $43 | ★ 5/5 | 228 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center Inc | Baltimore, MD | $172 | — | ★ 3/5 | 237 min | — |
| VA Maryland Healthcare System-Baltimore | Baltimore, MD | $172 | — | ★ 2/5 | — | — |
| University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD | $214 | — | ★ 3/5 | 309 min | — |
| Medstar Harbor Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $224 | $229 | ★ 4/5 | 212 min | — |
| Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $255 | $260 | ★ 3/5 | 247 min | — |
| Umd Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute | Baltimore, MD | $275 | — | — | — | — |
| Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $287 | — | — | — | — |
| University of Md Medical Center Midtown Campus | Baltimore, MD | $339 | — | ★ 3/5 | 243 min | — |
| Medstar Union Memorial Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $339 | $346 | ★ 5/5 | 218 min | — |
| Kennedy Krieger Institute | Baltimore, MD | $409 | — | — | — | — |
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 $255 — about 6.3× 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 $260 list price could save about $5 (2%).
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 Baltimore
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donna Magid, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 328 |
| David Fox, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 201 |
| David Badger, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 187 |
| David Neal, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 172 |
| Bijan Keramati, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 167 |
| Adam Scherr, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 159 |
| Lee Goodman, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 143 |
| Russell Gelman, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 142 |
| Manuel Soto-Fournier, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 135 |
| Shu Li, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 134 |
| Cara Wilt, CRNP | Nurse Practitioner | Baltimore, MD | 131 |
| Stephen Pomerantz, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 129 |
All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices in Maryland → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices (national) · All hospitals in Baltimore