Prices at 4 hospitals in Long Beach, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $655 — 66% above the US median ($396), roughly 12.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $364 | $135 | ★ 5/5 | 150 min | — |
| College Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $408 | $134 | ★ 3/5 | 322 min | — |
| VA Long Beach Healthcare System | Long Beach, CA | $902 | $242 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| Memorialcare Long Beach Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $902 | $242 | ★ 2/5 | 284 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 $655 — about 12.3× the Medicare rate ($53). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($107).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $874 list price could save about $219 (25%).
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 Long Beach
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amandeep Bhalla, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Long Beach, CA | 106 |
| Laurie Mortara, MD | Infectious Disease | Long Beach, CA | 14 |
| Brandon Ortega, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Long Beach, CA | 13 |
All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (4+ views) prices in California → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) (4+ views) prices (national) · All hospitals in Long Beach