Lower back X-ray cost in Maryland
In Maryland, 16 hospitals publish a cash price for X-ray of the lower back, 4 or more views: from $58.80 to $711.20, with a median of $287.38. The lowest price is at UPMC Western Maryland (Cumberland). The highest price is 12.1× the lowest.
- The median here, $287.38, is 32% below the US median of $423.70.
- That is 2.7× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($106.81).
- Maryland ranks 9th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 2 of 16 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Why Maryland prices look low: Maryland is the only state where a commission (the HSCRC) sets hospital rates for every payer, so its hospitals publish prices far below the rest of the country. A separate physician fee may still apply.
Maryland law (Health-General §19-214.1) requires hospitals to give free medically necessary care to patients with family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and to cut the bill by 75% up to 250% and 60% up to 300%. With medical debt above 25% of family income in a year, discounts reach up to 500%. Immigration status does not count. Ask the hospital for its financial assistance application. Other states' laws.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 72110. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Oct 29, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$58.80UPMC Western Maryland
Median$287.38half of hospitals charge less
Highest$711.20in Maryland
Lowest saves$228.58vs the median
Hospitals in Maryland, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Western Maryland lowest Cumberland · Cumberland, MD-WV XR LUMBOSACRAL SPINE COMPLETE | $58.80 | $98.00 | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Greater Baltimore Medical Center Towson · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD HC Lumbar Spine 5 Views | $130.66 | $133.33 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Frederick Health Hospital Frederick · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV XR SPINE LUMBAR 4 VIEWS | $174.87 | $178.44 | Mar 17, 2025 source file |
| MedStar St. Mary's Hospital Leonardtown · Lexington Park, MD SPINE, LUMBAR W OBL | $189.93 | $193.81 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD HC X-RAY LUMBAR SPINE 4 VW | $221.06 | $225.57 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Union Hospital of Cecil County Elkton · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD XRAY,SPINE,LUMBOSACRAL,MINIMUM 4 VIEWS GLR | $248.80 | $248.80 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| TidalHealth Peninsula Salisbury · Salisbury, MD HC LUMBAR SPINE MIN 4 VIEWS | $270.82 | $276.35 | Mar 19, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Southern Hospital Center Clinton · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV SPINE, LUMBAR W OBL | $286.84 | $292.69 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Harbor Hospital Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD SPINE, LUMBAR W OBL | $287.91 | $293.79 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Atlantic General Hospital Berlin · Ocean Pines, MD Radiologic examination, spine, lumbosacral; minimum of 4 views | $306.92 | $306.92 | Apr 10, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD SPINE, LUMBAR W OBL | $327.69 | $334.38 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD SPINE, LUMBAR W OBL | $335.64 | $342.49 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Lumbar Spine X-ray Min 4 Views | $368.50 | $376.02 | Nov 5, 2025 source file |
| MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Olney · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV SPINE, LUMBAR W OBL | $409.87 | $418.23 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD SPINE, LUMBAR W OBL | $436.34 | $445.24 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Kennedy Krieger Institute Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD HC LUMBAR SPINE, 4 VIEW MINIMUM | $711.20 | $889.00 | Aug 27, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 8 | $130.66 | $331.66 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3 | $174.87 | $286.84 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 1 | $58.80 | $58.80 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 1 | $189.93 | $189.93 |
| Ocean Pines, MD | 1 | $306.92 | $306.92 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1 | $248.80 | $248.80 |
| Salisbury, MD | 1 | $270.82 | $270.82 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What lower back X-ray is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lower back X-ray explained.
X-ray of the lower back, 4 or more views in other states
- Alabama$287.50
- Alaska$631.00
- Arizona$338.79
- Arkansas$163.72
- California$652.00
- Colorado$479.87
- Connecticut$478.75
- Delaware$526.25
- District of Columbia$629.12, 3 hospitals
- Florida$1,119.95
- Georgia$465.80
- Hawaii$441.70
- Idaho$401.70
- Illinois$555.00
- Indiana$346.80
- Iowa$355.20
- Kansas$390.72
- Kentucky$499.90
- Louisiana$213.60
- Maine$322.20
- Massachusetts$500.00
- Michigan$308.10
- Minnesota$331.80
- Mississippi$211.20
- Missouri$425.10
- Montana$334.51
- Nebraska$501.14
- Nevada$600.22
- New Hampshire$393.17
- New Jersey$160.37
- New Mexico$393.75
- New York$302.50
- North Carolina$459.60
- North Dakota$237.60
- Ohio$469.66
- Oklahoma$313.88
- Oregon$401.70
- Pennsylvania$453.60
- Puerto Rico$87.50
- Rhode Island$302.00
- South Carolina$534.00
- South Dakota$582.40
- Tennessee$222.98
- Texas$562.80
- Utah$908.61
- Vermont$843.00
- Virginia$528.00
- Washington$451.10
- West Virginia$283.00
- Wisconsin$373.27
- Wyoming$538.52
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.