US Health Care Costs

Chest X-ray, two views

CPT 71046 · Scans and imaging · hospital facility charge

At the 176 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $354, and most charge between $120 and $1,597 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$354typical cash price
$231typical commercial insurer rate
$601typical list price
176hospitals in 37 states so far
Typical cash price by state

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$326$326$326$146
Arizona2$311$142$479$149
California16$536$244$2,705$258
Colorado1$436$436$436$499
Connecticut1$374$374$374$40
Delaware1$336$336$336$404
Florida16$974$256$3,771$460
Georgia7$260$119$837$151
Iowa1$349$349$349$213
Idaho2$365$365$365$292
Illinois9$329$168$674$344
Indiana3$134$125$216$179
Kansas3$1,930$1,478$2,382$234
Kentucky2$288$222$354$290
Massachusetts4$331$294$354$308
Maryland3$130$97$156–
Michigan3$120$120$384$86
Minnesota1$132$132$132$262
Missouri6$287$124$361$254
Mississippi1$156$156$156$193
North Carolina6$242$176$1,570$256
Nebraska1$130$130$130$184
New Jersey10$108$97$117$132
Nevada1$1,861$1,861$1,861$91
New York3$355$126$371$93
Ohio10$200$9$450$142
Oklahoma3$328$269$411$282
Oregon1$327$327$327$83
Pennsylvania11$240$98$686$89
South Carolina5$467$248$1,026$164
South Dakota1$381$381$381$262
Tennessee3$646$96$1,197$145
Texas26$998$124$2,728$216
Utah2$340$322$358$353
Virginia7$282$282$1,152$278
Washington2$417$237$598$266
Wisconsin1$200$200$200$315
176 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does chest X-ray, two views cost at a hospital?

At 169 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for chest X-ray, two views is $354, and most charge between $120 and $1,597. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $231. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for chest X-ray, two views?

At 40 of the 160 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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