X-ray prices for people who pay without insurance

How much an X-ray costs without insurance

X-rays are quick pictures that show bones and some other parts of the body. They are the simplest and usually the lowest-cost kind of scan. The cost is still not the same everywhere, and a surprise bill is possible. This page gives general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have a serious injury, trouble breathing or another emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.

A 2021 study in JAMA Network Open gathered the self-pay prices that 1,570 hospitals posted online for a lower back X-ray. For a lower back X-ray with at least four views, the median cash price was $329. A median of $329 means that half the hospitals charged less and half charged more. The middle half of hospitals charged between $206 and $509.

That price is from 2021 and from hospitals, so a clinic or imaging center may charge less today. It does show how far apart prices can be for a scan that takes only a few minutes.

Why a hospital X-ray can cost more than one at a doctor's office

In 2022, the Health Care Cost Institute compared prices for people with job-based insurance. Its list of the simplest imaging services without contrast includes basic X-rays. Those services averaged $227 in a hospital outpatient department and $61 in a physician's office, a difference of 3.7 times. The study used prices that insurers paid, so these are not cash prices. Even so, the same kind of picture can cost very different amounts depending on the building.

The same study found that 58 percent of the simplest imaging services were done in physician offices in 2022. That means a large share of this simple imaging already happens outside hospitals.

Hospitals add charges to cover their buildings and equipment, and the staff who work there. The radiologist, the doctor who reads the picture and writes the report, often sends a second bill. Ask whether the reading is included in the price you are quoted.

What else changes the price of an X-ray?

Both the body part and the number of views change the price. A view is one picture taken from one angle, and the lower back X-ray in the 2021 study was priced for at least four views. A scan with fewer views may carry a different price. When you call, name the body part and ask how many views the price covers.

Planned visits give you more time to compare. Suppose you schedule an X-ray at least 3 business days ahead and are not using insurance. In that case, federal law says the provider usually must give you a written good faith estimate. Urgent care and ER visits leave little time for that. In those cases, a quick phone call or a question at the front desk is your best tool.

Places to get an X-ray without insurance

• Community health centers are a good first call. Federal rules list diagnostic radiology as a required service for these centers. At a minimum it covers plain medical films, which is the term for basic X-rays. The center can provide the service itself or through a written arrangement with another provider, and fees are based on your income. Our guide to community health centers explains how to qualify.
• Your own doctor's office may also be able to help. Some primary care offices have their own X-ray machine, and the Health Care Cost Institute found that many basic imaging services are done in offices. Ask when you call whether the office takes X-rays on site.
• Urgent care is another choice when you may have a sprain or a broken bone. These clinics often take X-rays for sprains and possible broken bones, though the total visit price can be higher. You can read what drives that bill in our guide on urgent care costs.
• Freestanding imaging centers and hospitals can also take the picture. Either one may need a written order, so call first.

The Environmental Protection Agency says that medical X-rays use relatively low amounts of radiation, while CT scans use higher doses. Tell the staff before the X-ray if you are pregnant or think you might be. Our guide on the cost of a CT scan covers that other test.

How to ask for the price of an X-ray

Most places want an order from a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant before they take the picture. Rules vary by place, so ask when you call. Without a clinician, a direct primary care doctor can see you, decide whether you need an X-ray and write the order. A direct primary care membership is not insurance. The X-ray is usually a separate cost unless that office takes the picture on site and includes it. Search for a cash-pay doctor near you to find one.

When you call, you can use words like these. "I do not have insurance, and I would like your self-pay price for a two-view chest X-ray, or whichever X-ray I need. Please tell me if the price includes the radiologist's reading and whether there is a discount for paying today." Write down the answer and the name of the person who gave it. You will find more scripts in our guide on asking for the cash price.

An X-ray as part of an injury visit

After an injury, the X-ray is often only one part of the bill. A splint, a cast, crutches or a follow-up visit may be billed on their own. If you can safely choose where to go, ask the clinic what the whole visit will probably cost. Ask about more than the price of the picture.

If a bill is higher than you were told, call the billing office and ask for an itemized bill. Compare that bill with your notes, and then ask for a lower self-pay price or a payment plan. Please do not delay care that a clinician says you need because of cost.