Prices at 5 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $125 — 53% below the US median ($266), roughly 3.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Vincent's East | Birmingham, AL | $125 | $109 | ★ 3/5 | 158 min | — |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $125 | $109 | ★ 3/5 | 243 min | — |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | $201 | $371 | — | — | — |
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 $125 — about 3.8× the Medicare rate ($33). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($66).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $467 list price could save about $342 (73%).
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 Birmingham
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Jones, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 44 |
| Michael Kendrick, MD | Interventional Pain Management | Birmingham, AL | 24 |
| Charles Carnel, MD | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Birmingham, AL | 23 |
| Perry Savage, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 21 |
| Charlie Talbert, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 21 |
| Blake Pearson, MD | Neurosurgery | Birmingham, AL | 17 |
| William Recknor, CRNP | Nurse Practitioner | Birmingham, AL | 14 |
| Stephen Gray, PA-C | Physician Assistant | Birmingham, AL | 13 |
All X-ray of the mid-back (thoracic spine) (2 views) prices in Alabama → · All X-ray of the mid-back (thoracic spine) (2 views) prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham