Lower back X-ray cost in Tucson, AZ
In Tucson, AZ, 3 hospitals list a cash price for X-ray of the lower back (lumbar spine), 2 or 3 views: from $178.20 to $231.28, with a median of $182.95. The lowest listed price is at Banner University Medical Center Tucson — $4.75 less than the median here. Across Arizona, the median is $125.69 at 36 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities 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 Mar 2, 2026 and Apr 30, 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 Tucson, AZ.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banner University Medical Center Tucson lowest Tucson, AZ · (520) 874-4189 XR SPINE LS 2-3 VW | $178.20 | $594.00 | $54.71–$551.65 | 70% | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Banner University Med Center South Tucson, AZ · (520) 874-2000 XR SPINE LS 2-3 VW | $182.95 | $594.00 | $54.71–$551.65 | 69% | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Xr L Spine 2-3vw | $231.28 | $826.00 | $67.26–$203.77 | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Xr L Spine 2-3vw | $231.28 | $826.00 | $67.26–$203.77 | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $178.20, median $182.95, highest $231.28 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $182.95. 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 2 of 3 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.