Lumbar discectomy cost in Duluth, MN
In Duluth, MN-WI, 4 hospitals list a cash price for lumbar discectomy or laminotomy to free a nerve root, one level: from $4,444.48 to $5,660.16, with a median of $5,660.16. The lowest listed price is at Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital — $1,215.68 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $5,387.98 at 9 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities for code 63030, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 1, 2026 and Apr 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 Duluth, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital lowest Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Low Back Disk Surgery | $4,444.48 | $8,170.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital lowest Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 LAMINOTOMY DCMPRN NRV ROOT 1 NTRSPC LUMBAR | $4,444.48 | $8,170.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN · (218) 786-3574 LAMINOTOMY,LUMBAR DISK,1 INTRSP | $5,660.16 | $8,576.00 | $2,838.66–$7,375.36 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Duluth Duluth, MN · (218) 786-2652 LAMINOTOMY,LUMBAR DISK,1 INTRSP | $5,660.16 | $8,576.00 | $2,838.66–$7,375.36 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Children's Hospital Duluth, MN LAMINOTOMY,LUMBAR DISK,1 INTRSP | $5,660.16 | $8,576.00 | $2,838.66–$7,375.36 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Fac Laminotomy Dcmprn Nrv Root 1 Ntrspc Lumbar | $13,121.82 | $24,121.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro Low Back Disk Surgery|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $6,666.72 | $12,255.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital both sides Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Fac Laminotomy Dcmprn Nrv Root 1 Ntrspc Lumbar|BILATERAL PROCEDURE | $19,682.74 | $36,181.50 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $4,444.48, median $5,660.16, highest $5,660.16 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $6,666.72, median $6,666.72, highest $6,666.72.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $5,660.16. 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 3 of 3 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
This lower-back surgery removes part of the bone (lamina) and, when needed, a herniated piece of disc to take pressure off a nerve root at one spinal level. It is often called a microdiscectomy and is done for leg pain (sciatica) that does not improve with other treatment.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the operating room and recovery. The surgeon, anesthesia and any overnight stay are usually billed separately.