Spinal injection, lower back, with imaging guidance in St. Louis, MO-IL costs $969 to $3,128. Here's every hospital's price.

CPT 62323 is an epidural steroid injection in the lower back done under fluoroscopic or CT guidance, the standard technique for sciatica and radiating leg pain from a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. It takes 10 to 20 minutes in a procedure room, often as a series of up to three injections.

What the price covers

The hospital's price is the facility fee for the procedure room, imaging equipment, nursing and supplies. The physician, any sedation and sometimes the medication are billed separately. If a series is planned, multiply the total by the number of injections.

Why prices vary

The same injection lists at wildly different prices: hospital outpatient departments commonly charge several times what ambulatory surgery centers and pain clinics charge. Because the injection is elective and often repeated, it is one of the most worthwhile procedures to shop.

Questions to ask

• What is the self-pay price for 62323 including imaging, and what does the physician add?
• How many injections are planned, and is there a series price?
• Can it be done at a pain clinic or surgery center instead of the hospital?