Prices at 5 hospitals in San Francisco, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,009 — 196% above the US median ($341), roughly 21.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $571 | $149 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| California Pacific Medical Center-Van Ness Campus | San Francisco, CA | $960 | $151 | ★ 3/5 | 198 min | — |
| California Pacific Medical Ctr-Davies Campus Hosp | San Francisco, CA | $1,059 | $151 | ★ 3/5 | 160 min | — |
| UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital | San Francisco, CA | $1,637 | $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 $1,009 — about 21.5× 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 $1,039 list price could save about $30 (3%).
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 California → · All X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in San Francisco