Lumbar fusion cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 6 hospitals list a cash price for lumbar spinal fusion (posterior), one level: from $3,538.50 to $83,448.23, with a median of $14,442.47. The lowest listed price is at Bethesda North and 1 other hospital — $10,903.97 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $7,199.10 at 25 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 2 cities for code 22612, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethesda North lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Lumbar Spine Fusion | $3,538.50 | $4,718.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Lumbar Spine Fusion | $3,538.50 | $4,718.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Pr Arthrodesis Posterior/Pstlat Tq 1Ntrspc Lumbar|By Specialist | $6,090.93 | $11,943.00 | $1,225.89–$11,345.85 | 49% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Pr Arthrodesis Posterior/Pstlat Tq 1Ntrspc Lumbar|By Midlevel | $6,090.93 | $11,943.00 | $919.42–$9,643.97 | 49% | — source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Arthrodesis Posterior/Pstlat Tq 1Ntrspc Lumbar | $22,794.00 | $37,990.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Arthrodesis Posterior/Pstlat Tq 1Ntrspc Lumbar | $22,794.00 | $37,990.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 Arthrodesis Posterior/Pstlat Tq 1ntrspc Lumbar | $83,448.23 | $139,080.38 | $26,442.65 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $3,538.50, median $14,442.47, highest $83,448.23 — a 23.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $22,794.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A lumbar fusion joins two vertebrae in the lower back with bone graft, usually with screws and rods.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the operating room, recovery and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesia usually bill separately.