Lumbar interbody fusion cost in Chicago, IL
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 4 hospitals list a cash price for lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF or TLIF), one level: from $1,627.88 to $28,934.00, with a median of $4,629.96. The lowest listed price is at Humboldt Park Health — $3,002.08 less than the median here. Across Illinois, the median is $9,973.00 at 9 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 22630, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt Park Health lowest Chicago, IL · (773) 292-8200 Fusion of lower spine bone and partial removal of spine bone or disc through back, 1 disc | $1,627.88 | $5,813.85 | $5,813.85 | 72% | Aug 24, 2026 source file |
| John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital Chicago, IL · (312) 864-6000 PF-LUMBAR SPINE FUSION | $3,254.30 | $4,649.00 | $463.89–$3,719.20 | 30% | — source file |
| Morris Hospital Morris, IL · (815) 942-2932 Fusion of lower spine bone and partial removal of spine bone or disc through back, 1 disc | $6,005.62 | $24,961.00 | $62.00–$29,949.62 | 76% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph Medical Center - Joliet Joliet, IL · (815) 725-7133 Arthrd pst tq 1ntrspc lum | $28,934.00 | $31,564.00 | $1,733.21–$31,564.00 | 8% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,627.88, median $4,629.96, highest $28,934.00 — a 17.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $3,254.30. 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 4 of 4 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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 interbody fusion removes a damaged disc in the lower back and fills the space with a spacer (cage) and bone graft so the two vertebrae grow together. PLIF and TLIF are the common approaches.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the operating room, recovery and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesia usually bill separately, and screws or cages may be billed as implants.