X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Columbus, OH

Prices at 4 hospitals in Columbus, OH, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $247 — 28% below the US median ($341), roughly 5.3× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Mount Carmel East & West Columbus, OH $223 $283 ★ 2/5 147 min —
Riverside Methodist Hospital Columbus, OH $247 $101 ★ 4/5 230 min —
Grant Medical Center Columbus, OH $247 $101 ★ 2/5 158 min —
Doctors Hospital Columbus, OH $247 $103 ★ 4/5 178 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)
$380
Cash / self-pay
$247
Insurer-negotiated
$102
Medicare pays
$47
$230$247
Median cash $247  ·  Medicare $47  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $247 — about 5.3× 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 $380 list price could save about $133 (35%).

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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.

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