X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) cost in California

Prices at 181 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $489 — 64% above the US median ($297), roughly 12.1× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Kaweah Health Medical Center Visalia, CA $85 $116 ★ 3/5 254 min —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $91 $104 ★ 3/5 191 min —
Gateways Hosp Mental Health Ctr Los Angeles, CA $100 — — — —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $101 $172 — 114 min —
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $121 $134 ★ 4/5 259 min —
St Bernardine Medical Center San Bernardino, CA $121 $135 ★ 2/5 176 min —
Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 188 min —
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 238 min —
Encino Hospital Medical Center Encino, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 134 min —
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 134 min —
West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 190 min —
Huntington Beach Hospital Huntington Beach, CA $133 $134 ★ 1/5 158 min —
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 204 min —
Chino Valley Medical Center Chino, CA $133 $134 ★ 4/5 174 min —
San Dimas Community Hospital San Dimas, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 147 min —
Desert Valley Hospital Victorville, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 167 min —
Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 140 min —
Montclair Hospital Medical Center Montclair, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 153 min —
Shasta Regional Medical Center Redding, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 156 min —
Adventist Health Tulare Tulare, CA $145 $43 ★ 3/5 198 min —
Pih Health Downey Hospital Downey, CA $148 $99 ★ 4/5 242 min —
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $152 $135 ★ 2/5 178 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $152 $135 ★ 4/5 190 min —
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Banning, CA $158 $134 ★ 3/5 194 min —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $159 — — 121 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$956
Cash / self-pay
$489
Insurer-negotiated
$149
Medicare pays
$40
$133$966
Median cash $489  ·  Medicare $40  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $489 — about 12.1× 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 $956 list price could save about $466 (49%).

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

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X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) cost in other states

All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (2 views) prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →