Rib and chest X-ray cost in Washington, DC — inpatient
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 11 hospitals list a cash price for rib X-ray, one side, with a chest view, 3 or more views as an inpatient: from $170.53 to $956.50, with a median of $329.00. The lowest listed price is at National Rehabilitation Hospital — $158.47 less than the median here. Across District of Columbia, the median is $339.86 at 5 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 7 cities for code 71101, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Rehabilitation Hospital lowest Washington, DC RIBS 2 VIEW UNIL WITH PA CHEST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $170.53 | $262.35 | $128.55–$223.00 | 35% |
| MedStar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC · (202) 877-7000 RIBS 2 VIEW UNIL WITH PA CHEST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $302.07 | $464.72 | $134.77–$395.01 | 35% |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC XR RIBS UNI W/CHEST 3+VIEWS source file | $329.00 | $658.00 | $80.04–$513.24 | 50% |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC XR RIBS UNI W/CHEST 3+VIEWS source file | $329.00 | $658.00 | $80.04–$513.24 | 50% |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC XR RIBS UNI W/CHEST 3+VIEWS source file | $329.00 | $658.00 | $80.04–$513.24 | 50% |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC XR RIBS UNI W/CHEST 3+VIEWS source file | $329.00 | $658.00 | $80.04–$513.24 | 50% |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC XR RIBS UNI W/CHEST 3+VIEWS source file | $329.00 | $658.00 | $80.04–$513.24 | 50% |
| MedStar Georgetown Hospital Northwest Washington, DC · (202) 784-3000 RIBS 2 VIEW UNIL WITH PA CHEST File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $339.86 | $522.86 | $183.00–$470.57 | 35% |
| Children's National Hospital one side Washington, DC · (202) 476-5000 XR Ribs RT 3 Views+1 more line at this price source file | $402.50 | $805.00 | $338.10–$440.33 | 50% |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center one side Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgr-Ribs Unilat W/ Pa Cxr+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $446.50 | $893.00 | — | 50% |
| Children's National Rehabilitation and Specialized Care one side Washington, DC X-RAY EXAM UNILAT RIBS/CHEST source file | $956.50 | $1,913.00 | $1,300.84–$1,817.35 | 50% |
Inpatient: lowest $170.53, median $329.00, highest $956.50 — a 5.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 18 facilities here, median $329.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 10 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
This study takes pictures of the ribs on one side plus a front view of the chest. The chest view checks the lungs for a collapsed lung or bleeding after a rib injury.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.