Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $681 — 72% above the US median ($396), roughly 12.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital | San Diego, CA | $292 | $187 | ★ 4/5 | 194 min | — |
| UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr | San Diego, CA | $660 | $524 | ★ 5/5 | 259 min | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego | San Diego, CA | $681 | $117 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital | San Diego, CA | $863 | $734 | ★ 4/5 | 197 min | — |
| Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital | San Diego, CA | $863 | $783 | — | — | — |
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 $681 — about 12.7× 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 $1,168 list price could save about $487 (42%).
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 San Diego
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Harman, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Diego, CA | 101 |
| Neil Tayyab, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | San Diego, CA | 90 |
| David Lee, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Diego, CA | 60 |
| Steven Lange, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | San Diego, CA | 60 |
| Maneesh Bawa, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | San Diego, CA | 57 |
| Oliver Tannous, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | San Diego, CA | 51 |
| Brian O'loughlin, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Diego, CA | 40 |
| Edward Rothenberg, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | San Diego, CA | 26 |
| Amanda Klein, PA | Physician Assistant | San Diego, CA | 23 |
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 San Diego