US Health Care Costs

Lower back laminectomy

CPT 63047 · Surgery · hospital facility charge

At the 149 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $9,930, and most charge between $4,783 and $18,065 (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

$9,930typical cash price
$10,076typical commercial insurer rate
$25,004typical list price
149hospitals in 33 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWAID$15kMTNDMNIL$51kMI$10.0kNY$8.6kMAORNVWYSDIAIN$11kOH$3.0kPA$15kNJ$7.9kCT$7.4kRICAUTCONE$3.8kMO$16kKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTN$12kNCSCDCOK$17kLAMSALGAHITXFLPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1––––
Arizona1–––$7,447
California11–––$14,682
Colorado1–––$10,776
Connecticut1$7,370$7,370$7,370$2,655
Delaware1–––$33,697
Florida16–––$12,350
Georgia4–––$11,263
Iowa1–––$18,490
Idaho2$14,738$14,738$14,738$18,128
Illinois7$50,687$50,687$50,687$14,260
Indiana3$10,670$10,670$10,670$22,200
Kansas2–––$8,223
Kentucky2–––$11,926
Michigan3$9,978$9,978$9,978$8,315
Missouri5$15,692$11,965$19,317$6,187
Mississippi1–––$16,051
North Carolina5–––$7,449
Nebraska1$3,825$3,825$3,825$8,483
New Jersey10$7,914$3,786$9,882$8,723
Nevada1–––$5,321
New York3$8,613$8,613$8,613$7,945
Ohio9$2,971$2,971$2,971$16,959
Oklahoma2$16,813$16,813$16,813$11,195
Pennsylvania10$15,384$15,384$15,384$8,020
South Carolina4–––$5,493
South Dakota1–––$1,119
Tennessee3$12,238$12,238$12,238$9,273
Texas26–––$8,874
Utah2–––$6,222
Virginia7–––$21,065
Washington2–––$20,068
Wisconsin1–––$14,991
149 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 lower back laminectomy cost at a hospital?

At 26 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for lower back laminectomy is $9,930, and most charge between $4,783 and $18,065. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $10,076. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for lower back laminectomy?

At 13 of the 25 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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