Skull X-ray cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 20 hospitals list a cash price for skull X-ray, fewer than 4 views as an inpatient: from $147.95 to $624.75, with a median of $342.40. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center South — $194.45 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $311.00 at 33 hospitals.
Cash prices at 20 facilities across 14 cities for code 70250, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Aug 6, 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Chg Radiologic Examination Skull 4/> Views File of Mar 13, 2026 · source file | $147.95 | $328.78 | $62.86–$394.86 | 55% |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Chg Radiologic Examination Skull 4/> Views File of Mar 13, 2026 · source file | $155.62 | $345.82 | $62.86–$475.07 | 55% |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton Milton, MA · (617) 696-4600 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $209.00 | $209.00 | — | — |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC X-Ray Exam of Skull <4 Views File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $252.70 | $361.00 | $75.32–$530.75 | 30% |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Needham Needham, MA · (781) 453-3002 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $263.00 | $263.00 | — | — |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Skull, Less Than 4 Views File of Mar 20, 2026 · source file | $288.00 | $288.00 | $41.45–$522.55 | — |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC X-Ray Skull <4 Vw+1 more line at this price File of Mar 13, 2026 · source file | $309.60 | $688.00 | $29.74–$584.80 | 55% |
| Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington Burlington, MA · (781) 744-5100 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $311.00 | $311.00 | — | — |
| Anna Jaques Hospital Newburyport, MA · (978) 463-1000 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $338.00 | $338.00 | — | — |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC X-Ray Exam of Skull <4 Views File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $338.80 | $484.00 | $45.45–$484.00 | 30% |
| New England Baptist Hospital Boston, MA · (617) 754-5800 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $346.00 | $346.00 | — | — |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Plymouth Plymouth, MA · (508) 746-2000 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $353.00 | $353.00 | — | — |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC X-Ray Exam of Skull <4 Views File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $361.90 | $517.00 | $135.76–$559.77 | 30% |
| Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Brockton, MA · (508) 941-7000 XRAY; SKULL < 4 VIEWS File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $368.90 | $527.00 | — | 30% |
| Mount Auburn Hospital Cambridge, MA · (617) 492-3500 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $379.00 | $379.00 | — | — |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 667-7000 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $384.00 | $384.00 | — | — |
| Winchester Hospital Winchester, MA · (781) 729-9000 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $474.00 | $474.00 | — | — |
| PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Stoughton Stoughton, MA RAD Exam of Skull 1 View File of Aug 6, 2026 · source file | $501.26 | $501.26 | $350.88–$426.07 | — |
| Exeter Hospital Exeter, NH · (603) 778-7311 HC X RAY SKULL LESS THAN 4 VIEWS File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $579.00 | $579.00 | — | — |
| Emerson Hospital Concord, MA · (978) 369-1400 SKULL SERIES PA & LA File of May 18, 2026 · source file | $624.75 | $833.00 | $762.20 | 25% |
Inpatient: lowest $147.95, median $342.40, highest $624.75 — a 4.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 26 facilities here, median $349.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 9 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 skull X-ray takes up to three pictures of the bones of the head. It is used less often than before, because a head CT (70450) shows the brain and skull better after an injury.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.