Lumbar discectomy cost in Seattle, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for lumbar discectomy or laminotomy to free a nerve root, one level: from $10,706.43 to $104,106.70, with a median of $57,406.57. The lowest listed price is at Virginia Mason Medical Center — $46,700.14 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $10,148.13 at 5 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 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 — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Mason Medical Center lowest Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 LAMINOTOMY, W DECOMP OF NERVE ROOT(S),ONE INTERSPACE,LUMBAR | $10,706.43 | $20,993.00 | $12,595.80–$16,794.40 | 49% | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Lamnotmy Incl W/Dcmprsn Nrv Root 1 Intrspc Lumbr | $104,106.70 | — | — | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $10,706.43, median $57,406.57, highest $104,106.70 — a 9.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $10,706.43. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated and 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.