Prices at 6 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $536 — 84% above the US median ($291), roughly 14.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital | Houston, TX | $336 | $147 | — | — | — |
| Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center | Houston, TX | $515 | — | ★ 4/5 | 252 min | — |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | Houston, TX | $515 | — | ★ 3/5 | 243 min | — |
| St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage | Houston, TX | $558 | $164 | ★ 4/5 | 209 min | — |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Houston, TX | $983 | $130 | ★ 3/5 | 180 min | — |
| Texas Orthopedic Hospital | Houston, TX | $2,310 | $109 | — | 105 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 September 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 $536 — about 14.9× the Medicare rate ($36). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($72).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,601 list price could save about $1,065 (67%).
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 mid-back (thoracic spine) prices in Texas → · All X-ray of the mid-back (thoracic spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Houston