SelfPayRates
Cash prices 396 hospitals

Spinal fusion cost without insurance

The median cash price for Lumbar fusion is $15,921.79 across 354 US hospitals that publish a self-pay price. Most hospitals (the middle 80%) charge between $2,461.55 and $41,229.47.

A spinal fusion joins two or more vertebrae so they heal into one bone. It is used for instability, slipped vertebrae and some disc problems, most often in the lower back at L4-L5 or L5-S1, or in the neck as an ACDF. It is one of the most expensive common operations, because of the implants and the hospital stay.

Collected Sep 30, 2026 One price per hospital, from each hospital's own price file

Spinal fusion prices by type

22612 is a lumbar fusion done from the back and is used in the state table; 22633 adds an interbody cage (a TLIF) and is the most common lower back fusion; 22630 is an interbody fusion alone (PLIF or TLIF); and 22551 is a neck fusion (ACDF).

ProcedureHospitals Most chargeMedian Medicare
Lumbar fusion Lumbar spinal fusion (posterior), one level · code 22612 354 $2,461.55–$41,229.47 $15,921.79 —
Lumbar fusion with cage (TLIF) Lumbar fusion with interbody cage and posterolateral graft (TLIF), one level · code 22633 305 $2,705.14–$64,681.38 $15,472.80 —
Lumbar interbody fusion Lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF or TLIF), one level · code 22630 237 $2,130.91–$56,977.79 $20,754.54 —
ACDF (neck fusion) Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), one level · code 22551 396 $2,820.43–$38,744.42 $12,849.91 —

“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 fusion: median by state

States with at least two hospitals, cheapest median first. Pick a state for its spinal fusion prices and cheapest hospitals.

Lumbar fusion: median by metro area

Metro areas with at least two hospitals.

Paying cash: what to do

  • Ask for a bundled self-pay price that includes the surgeon, anesthesia, implants, facility and follow-up visits; hospital file prices usually cover only the facility.
  • Ask how many levels are planned, since each extra level adds to the price.
  • Get a second opinion before a fusion; physical therapy, injections or a smaller surgery such as a discectomy may be enough.

Questions

How long is the hospital stay?

Usually one to a few days for a single-level fusion.

How long is recovery?

Most people return to light activity in weeks, but the bone takes several months to fuse.

Is a discectomy the same as a fusion?

No. A discectomy removes the part of a disc pressing on a nerve and is a smaller operation; see back surgery prices.