Lower back X-ray cost in Joplin, MO
In Joplin, MO-KS, 5 hospitals list a cash price for X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine), 2 or 3 views: from $154.24 to $326.30, with a median of $276.90. The lowest listed price is at Freeman Health System - Freeman West — $122.66 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $276.25 at 26 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 4 cities for code 72100, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 25, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 1, 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 Joplin, MO-KS.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West lowest Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 CLINIC LUMBAR SPINE AP & LAT | $154.24 | $385.61 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $249.60 | $384.00 | $107.96 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Specialty Hospital Southeast Kansas Galena, KS · (620) 783-1732 Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $276.90 | $426.00 | $24.41–$466.75 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Columbus Columbus, KS · (620) 429-2545 Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $279.50 | $430.00 | $24.41–$227.80 | 35% | — source file |
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 LUMBOSACRAL 2-3 VIEWS | $281.40 | $703.50 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 LS SPINE 2-3 VIEW | $281.40 | $703.50 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West Joplin, MO · (417) 347-1111 LUMBAR SPINE 2V FLEX AND EXTEN | $281.40 | $703.50 | — | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Joplin Joplin, MO · (417) 781-2727 Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $326.30 | $502.00 | $69.11–$198.11 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $154.24, median $276.90, highest $326.30 — a 2.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $154.24. 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 1 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 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
A lower back X-ray shows the bones of the lumbar spine in two or three views. It is used after injuries, for suspected fractures and for back pain with warning signs.
What the price covers
The price usually covers taking the images. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.