Back surgery cost without insurance
The median cash price for Lumbar discectomy is $5,660.16 across 362 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price. Most hospitals (the middle 80%) charge between $1,831.20 and $26,533.23.
Back and neck surgery ranges from a same-day discectomy for a pinched nerve to a spinal fusion with a hospital stay. Fusion is by far the most expensive, because of the implants and longer surgery. Many people improve with physical therapy, injections and time, so surgery is usually a later step.
Collected Sep 25, 2026 One price per hospital, from each hospital's own price file
Back surgery prices by type
63030 is a lumbar discectomy and is used in the state table; 63047 is a lumbar laminectomy for spinal stenosis; 22551 is a neck fusion (ACDF); and 22612 is a lumbar fusion.
| Procedure | Hospitals | Most charge | Median | Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumbar discectomy Lumbar discectomy or laminotomy to free a nerve root, one level · code 63030 | 362 | $1,831.20–$26,533.23 | $5,660.16 | — |
| Lumbar laminectomy Lumbar laminectomy (spinal decompression), one level · code 63047 | 361 | $1,999.20–$27,600.33 | $7,374.95 | — |
| ACDF (neck fusion) Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), one level · code 22551 | 349 | $2,383.27–$38,946.17 | $8,532.55 | — |
| Lumbar fusion Lumbar spinal fusion (posterior), one level · code 22612 | 325 | $2,202.26–$34,162.89 | $8,057.40 | — |
“Most charge” is the middle 80% of hospitals (10th to 90th percentile), so one mistyped line in a hospital file cannot stretch it. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price for the code. “Medicare” is Medicare's 2026 national base rate for the same service outside a hospital stay, including the patient's share (the hospital outpatient, lab or hospital clinic rate); “median 3×” means the median cash price is three times that rate.
Lumbar discectomy: median by state
States with at least two hospitals, cheapest median first. Pick a state for its back surgery prices and cheapest hospitals.
- Indiana$1,814.35
- Kentucky$1,831.20
- Iowa$2,333.60
- North Carolina$2,816.50
- Oregon$2,976.80
- Vermont$3,059.35
- Nebraska$3,378.38
- Louisiana$3,405.95
- Michigan$3,641.80
- Massachusetts$4,731.00
- Wisconsin$5,310.50
- Minnesota$5,387.98
- West Virginia$5,642.50
- Tennessee$5,962.64
- Connecticut$6,115.00
- Florida$6,812.46
- New York$7,413.38
- Nevada$7,892.00
- Illinois$8,572.26
- Texas$8,789.82
- New Jersey$8,800.00
- California$9,286.00
- Oklahoma$9,637.75
- Washington$10,148.13
- Alaska$12,238.00
- Pennsylvania$12,769.35
- Arkansas$12,998.51
- Missouri$13,862.86
- Idaho$14,738.00
- Montana$15,219.04
- Kansas$17,205.52
- Mississippi$18,262.71
- Ohio$26,569.81
- South Carolina$28,317.76
- Virginia$28,543.96
Paying cash: what to do
- Ask for a bundled self-pay price that includes the surgeon, anesthesia, facility and follow-up visits; hospital file prices usually cover only the facility.
- Ask whether screws, rods, cages and bone graft are included, since implants can be a large part of the price.
- Consider a second opinion before a fusion.
Questions
Is back surgery done as an outpatient?
Discectomy often is; fusion usually needs a hospital stay.
How long is recovery?
A few weeks after discectomy and several months after fusion.
What should I try before surgery?
Physical therapy, medicines and injections help many people.