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

Prices at 184 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $571 — 67% above the US median ($341), roughly 12.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Gateways Hosp Mental Health Ctr Los Angeles, CA $100 — — — —
Kaweah Health Medical Center Visalia, CA $101 $132 ★ 3/5 254 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 —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $131 $175 — 114 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 —
Pih Health Downey Hospital Downey, CA $149 $107 ★ 4/5 242 min —
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Banning, CA $158 $134 ★ 3/5 194 min —
L a Downtown Medical Center Los Angeles, CA $174 $146 ★ 3/5 — —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $179 — — 121 min —
Mercy Medical Center Merced, CA $179 $158 ★ 3/5 224 min —
Fresno Surgical Hospital Fresno, CA $183 $95 — — —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $189 $131 ★ 3/5 191 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)
$1,059
Cash / self-pay
$571
Insurer-negotiated
$149
Medicare pays
$47
$133$1,079
Median cash $571  ·  Medicare $47  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $571 — about 12.2× the Medicare rate ($47). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($94).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,059 list price could save about $487 (46%).

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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) cost in other states

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