Thigh (femur) X-ray cost in Santa Cruz, CA — inpatient
In Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for thigh bone (femur) X-ray, 2 or more views as an inpatient: from $797.00 to $941.76, with a median of $869.38. The lowest listed price is at Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz — $72.38 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $429.45 at 179 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 73552, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Oct 2, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 28, 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz one side lowest Santa Cruz, CA · (831) 477-2200 HCHG XR EXAM FEMUR MIN 2 VIEWS LT+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $797.00 | $797.00 | — | — |
| Watsonville Community Hospital one side Watsonville, CA · (831) 724-4741 LE-RT FEMUR 2V CR+1 more line at this price File of Sep 28, 2026 · source file | $941.76 | $1,569.60 | $40.93–$6,278.40 | 40% |
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CA · (831) 724-4741 X-RAY EXAM OF FEMUR 2/> File of Sep 28, 2026 · source file | $941.76 | $1,569.60 | $40.93–$6,278.40 | 40% |
| Watsonville Community Hospital both sides Watsonville, CA · (831) 724-4741 FEMUR 2V BILATERAL File of Sep 28, 2026 · source file | $1,883.52 | $3,139.20 | $40.93–$6,278.40 | 40% |
Inpatient: lowest $797.00, median $869.38, highest $941.76 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $1,883.52, median $1,883.52, highest $1,883.52.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $869.38 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 femur X-ray takes at least two pictures of the thigh bone, from the hip to the knee. It is used after a serious injury, for thigh pain, and to follow a fracture or an implant.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.