Prices at 5 hospitals in San Francisco, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,113 — 181% above the US median ($396), roughly 20.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $588 | $149 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| California Pacific Medical Center-Van Ness Campus | San Francisco, CA | $1,075 | $151 | ★ 3/5 | 198 min | — |
| California Pacific Medical Ctr-Davies Campus Hosp | San Francisco, CA | $1,151 | $151 | ★ 3/5 | 160 min | — |
| UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital | San Francisco, CA | $1,850 | $156 | ★ 3/5 | 138 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 $1,113 — about 20.8× the Medicare rate ($53). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($107).
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 Francisco
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Eng, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | San Francisco, CA | 163 |
| Nirmaan Dayal, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | San Francisco, CA | 99 |
| Katherine Ziesing, PA-C | Physician Assistant | San Francisco, CA | 53 |
| Peter Callander, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | San Francisco, CA | 38 |
| Johnna Walker, PA-C | Physician Assistant | San Francisco, CA | 24 |
| Katherine Cecil, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | San Francisco, CA | 14 |
| Robert Dionisio, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | San Francisco, 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 San Francisco