X-ray of the lower spine (4 or more views) in San Diego, CA costs $133 to $863. Here's every hospital's price.
10 hospitals in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area publish a cash price for x-ray of the lower spine (4 or more views) (CPT 72110). We read their files every month so you don't have to.
Across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, 10 hospitals list a cash price for x-ray of the lower spine (4 or more views) (CPT 72110). The lowest is $133 at Paradise Valley Hospital, the median is $292 and the highest is $863 at Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctr. The most expensive hospital lists 6.5 times the cheapest for the same code.
The San Diego, CA median of $292 is 17% below the national median of $352 across 1558 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
10 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $1 to $1,128. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.
The files behind these prices are dated between March 2026 and September 2026. 6 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.
Sorted by cash price
Hospital facility fee onlyNational City · 29 mi · File Sep 2026
San Diego · 29 mi · File Mar 2026
La Jolla · 28 mi · File Mar 2026
La Jolla · 28 mi · File Mar 2026
Encinitas · 30 mi · File Mar 2026
San Diego · 24 mi · File Apr 2026
La Mesa · 22 mi · File Apr 2026
San Diego · 27 mi · File Apr 2026
Chula Vista · 31 mi · File Apr 2026
Coronado · 32 mi · File Apr 2026
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for CPT 72110. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.
Cash vs. insured
Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.
What to say on the phone
"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 72110, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."
About x-ray of the lower spine (4 or more views)
CPT 72110 is a set of at least four X-ray images of the lumbar and sacral spine, taken from different angles. It is a common first test for lower-back pain after an injury, and for checking alignment and arthritis. It takes about 15 minutes.
What the price covers
The hospital's price is the technical fee for the X-ray room and technologist. The radiologist's reading is billed separately. Fewer views (72100, two or three views) is a cheaper code; ask which one your doctor ordered.
Why prices vary
Plain X-rays are inexpensive to perform, and the listed hospital prices reflect chargemaster policy more than cost: the same four views can list at $80 in one hospital and $800 in another. Physician offices and urgent-care clinics with their own X-ray equipment are often much cheaper than hospitals.
Questions to ask
- Is this the price for 72110, and does it include the radiologist reading?
- Would two or three views (72100) answer my doctor's question?
- Can I have the X-ray done at an outpatient location or clinic instead?
Hospitals in San Diego, CA without a price for this procedure
Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.
- Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San MarcosNo website on record
- Palomar Health Downtown CampusWebsite blocks automated reading
- Palomar Medical Center PowayWebsite blocks automated reading
- Rady Children's Hospital - San DiegoFile in an unsupported format
- Tri-City Medical Centercode not in file
- UC San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med CtrNo price file found