Prices at 14 hospitals in Philadelphia, PA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $591 — 72% above the US median ($343), roughly 12.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roxborough Memorial Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $106 | $111 | ★ 2/5 | 186 min | — |
| Thomas Jefferson University Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $124 | $101 | ★ 3/5 | 236 min | — |
| Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $125 | $112 | ★ 3/5 | 268 min | — |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children-Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $280 | $48 | — | — | — |
| Nazareth Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $487 | $187 | ★ 2/5 | 222 min | — |
| Pennsylvania Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $696 | $235 | ★ 4/5 | 280 min | — |
| St Christopher's Hospital for Children | Philadelphia, PA | $940 | $218 | — | — | — |
| Hospital of Univ of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $1,317 | $454 | ★ 5/5 | 290 min | — |
| Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | Philadelphia, PA | $1,515 | $481 | ★ 4/5 | 326 min | — |
| Philadelphia VA Medical Center | Philadelphia, PA | $1,914 | $774 | ★ 5/5 | — | — |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $1,914 | $774 | — | — | — |
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 $591 — about 12.6× 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 $1,316 list price could save about $725 (55%).
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 Pennsylvania → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Philadelphia