Lower back X-ray cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine), 2 or 3 views: from $35.75 to $702.00, with a median of $338.00. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital Lincoln — $302.25 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $276.25 at 26 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 10 cities for code 72100, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 24, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln lowest Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views Pf | $35.75 | $55.00 | $3.58–$55.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 SP-LS SPN 2 TO 3V CR | $83.53 | $139.21 | $139.21 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $196.30 | $302.00 | $44.55–$149.59 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $223.60 | $344.00 | $44.55–$149.59 | 35% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 432-3600 X-RAY OF LOWER AND SACRAL SPINE; 2-3 VIEWS | $248.70 | $248.70 | $32.79–$212.68 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $308.10 | $474.00 | $72.92–$139.62 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $326.30 | $502.00 | $44.55–$149.59 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Xr Spine Lumbar 2 or 3 Views | $349.70 | $538.00 | $176.00–$201.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 XR Spine Lumbosacral 2 or 3 Views | $412.72 | $515.90 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 XR Spine Lumbar Flexion + Extension | $412.72 | $515.90 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC XR L-SPINE 2-3V | $496.80 | $690.00 | $51.11–$690.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC XR L-SPINE 2-3V | $618.48 | $859.00 | $79.15–$859.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC XR L-SPINE 2-3V | $688.32 | $956.00 | $48.67–$956.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC XR L-SPINE 2-3V | $702.00 | $975.00 | $35.43–$975.00 | 28% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $35.75, median $338.00, highest $702.00 — a 19.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $454.76. 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 6 of 11 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 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.