How much does a X-ray, chest (two views) typically cost in the United States?

Across 2,830 U.S. hospitals in 52 states, the modeled national fair BaseRate for X-ray, chest (two views) is $93, with most hospital negotiated prices falling between $33 and $208.

Why do hospital prices for X-ray, chest (two views) vary across facilities?

Commercial rates are negotiated individually between hospital systems and insurers, creating wide local dispersion even within the same metro area. Comparing facility-specific cash and in-network rates before scheduling care helps avoid overpaying.

National price data · 2,830 hospitals

X-ray, chest (two views) cost

What a x-ray, chest (two views) costs across the U.S. — and the fair price to aim for.

Near Fair BaseRate Benchmark

1.00×vs. Fair Market Price

Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.

86/100 · Verified

86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited

File Completeness90

Price Logic88

Peer Alignment86

Clean Billing83

Real Cash Discount84

Regional Value Leader

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

Behavioral Pricing FingerprintMedian-Gamed · High Captive Markup

Loss-Leader / Captive Ancillary Cross-Subsidizer

Miami County Medical Center prices routine shoppable procedures near 0.6× Medicare (p50 0.68×) while skewing captive emergency, lab, and upper-quartile codes to 1.0× Medicare (p75 0.87×, +28% upper-tail jump). Patients scheduling elective outpatient care can capture competitive rates, but emergency and ancillary bills require strict line-item auditing.

#3 of 103 in KS · 1st State Percentile#83 of 3,385 in U.S. · 2nd National Percentile

Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

Elective shoppable care is priced 39% below peer Fair BaseRate (0.61×)
Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 55% of shoppable procedures (89/100 Cash Honesty)
CMS clinical safety score (68/100 safety score) with 68% patient recommendation
IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (22.2% AGB cap)

Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

Even at low-cost facilities (1.00× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
Captive ER (3.5×) & laboratory (2.1×) services average 1.67× higher multiples than routine shoppable care (0.6×)
Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 0.87×) jump +28% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 0.68×)
Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 6.4× Medicare (16¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)

Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging

0.6× Medicare

Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.

Back-Door Captive & ER1.67× Divergence

1.0× Medicare

Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.

Quantile Tail Spread+28% Upper Tail

Q25 0.26× · Q50 0.68× · Q75 0.87×

Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.

Select any lens to inspect department markups, federal cost accounting, or insurer discounts.

Department & Integrity Multiples (vs. CMS Medicare Cost Anchor) Green ≤1.3× · Teal 1.3–1.8× · Amber 1.8–2.5× · Rose >2.5×

Front-Door Shoppable CareFront-Door Shoppable

0.6× MedicareGood

Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive

1.0× MedicareGood

Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable

2.0× MedicareGood

Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive

3.5× MedicareElevated

Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive

2.1× MedicareGood

Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive

2.7× MedicareFair

Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes

55% Cash Edge · 89/100Good

CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes

3 CMS · 68/100Fair

National Geographic Price Intelligence · 50-State + DC/PR Cartogram

National State Price Index Heatmap · X-ray, chest (two views)

State commercial price index vs. U.S. median (1.00×) and average Medicare multiple across all 53 priced states & territories

<0.93× Below Fair Price 0.93–1.05× Near Average 1.05–1.18× Elevated >1.18× High-Cost State

AK2.43× 6.8× Med ME0.38× 1.1× Med WA1.69× 4.7× Med ID0.89× 2.5× Med MT0.70× 2.0× Med ND1.03× 2.9× Med MN1.08× 3.0× Med WI1.27× 3.6× Med MI0.86× 2.4× Med VT0.35× 1.0× Med NH1.44× 4.1× Med OR1.08× 3.0× Med NV0.85× 2.4× Med WY0.60× 1.7× Med SD0.96× 2.7× Med IA0.82× 2.3× Med IL1.00× 2.8× Med IN1.28× 3.6× Med OH0.92× 2.6× Med PA0.94× 2.6× Med NY0.83× 2.3× Med MA1.18× 3.3× Med CA1.25× 3.5× Med UT1.97× 5.5× Med CO0.98× 2.8× Med NE1.38× 3.9× Med MO0.92× 2.6× Med KY0.94× 2.6× Med WV0.89× 2.5× Med VA1.29× 3.6× Med MD0.39× 1.1× Med NJ1.06× 3.0× Med CT0.69× 1.9× Med AZ1.00× 2.8× Med NM0.97× 2.7× Med KS1.60× 4.5× Med AR0.92× 2.6× Med TN0.89× 2.5× Med NC0.94× 2.6× Med SC0.95× 2.7× Med DE1.27× 3.6× Med DC1.29× 3.6× Med RI1.39× 3.9× Med OK0.92× 2.6× Med LA0.87× 2.4× Med MS0.89× 2.5× Med AL0.87× 2.4× Med GA0.94× 2.6× Med HI0.72× 2.0× Med TX1.10× 3.1× Med FL1.03× 2.9× Med PR0.35× 0.8× Med

PR0.35×0.8× Med VT0.35×1.0× Med ME0.38×1.1× Med MD0.39×1.1× Med WY0.60×1.7× Med CT0.69×1.9× Med MT0.70×2.0× Med HI0.72×2.0× Med IA0.82×2.3× Med NY0.83×2.3× Med NV0.85×2.4× Med MI0.86×2.4× Med AL0.87×2.4× Med LA0.87×2.4× Med ID0.89×2.5× Med MS0.89×2.5× Med TN0.89×2.5× Med WV0.89×2.5× Med AR0.92×2.6× Med MO0.92×2.6× Med OH0.92×2.6× Med OK0.92×2.6× Med GA0.94×2.6× Med KY0.94×2.6× Med NC0.94×2.6× Med PA0.94×2.6× Med SC0.95×2.7× Med SD0.96×2.7× Med NM0.97×2.7× Med CO0.98×2.8× Med AZ1.00×2.8× Med IL1.00×2.8× Med FL1.03×2.9× Med ND1.03×2.9× Med NJ1.06×3.0× Med MN1.08×3.0× Med OR1.08×3.0× Med TX1.10×3.1× Med MA1.18×3.3× Med CA1.25×3.5× Med DE1.27×3.6× Med WI1.27×3.6× Med IN1.28×3.6× Med DC1.29×3.6× Med VA1.29×3.6× Med NE1.38×3.9× Med RI1.39×3.9× Med NH1.44×4.1× Med KS1.60×4.5× Med WA1.69×4.7× Med UT1.97×5.5× Med AK2.43×6.8× Med

5 Lowest-Price States (Confounder-Isolated Value Leaders)

PR0.35×(0.8×)VT0.35×(1.0×)ME0.38×(1.1×)MD0.39×(1.1×)WY0.60×(1.7×)

5 Highest-Markup States (Strict Bill Audit Recommended)

AK2.43×(6.8×)UT1.97×(5.5×)WA1.69×(4.7×)KS1.60×(4.5×)NH1.44×(4.1×)

The BaseRate high confidence

$93

the fair national price for a x-ray, chest (two views)

typically $33–$208 across 2,830 hospitals · how we calculate it

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

2,830

hospitals priced

states

6.3×

price spread — where shopping matters

2.8×

vs. Medicare

Across 2,830 hospitals in 52 states, a x-ray, chest (two views) has a fair BaseRate of $93 and typically costs $33–$208. The cheapest state is PR; the priciest is AK.

Cheapest hospitals for a x-ray, chest (two views)

X-ray, chest (two views) cost by state

AK $226 5 hospitals AL $81 50 hospitals AR $86 46 hospitals AZ $93 49 hospitals CA $116 217 hospitals CO $91 55 hospitals CT $64 16 hospitals DC $120 5 hospitals DE $118 9 hospitals FL $96 154 hospitals GA $87 91 hospitals HI $67 19 hospitals IA $76 75 hospitals ID $83 21 hospitals IL $93 108 hospitals IN $119 81 hospitals KS $149 89 hospitals KY $87 45 hospitals LA $81 78 hospitals MA $110 44 hospitals MD $36 3 hospitals ME $35 25 hospitals MI $80 61 hospitals MN $100 69 hospitals MO $86 75 hospitals MS $83 60 hospitals MT $65 15 hospitals NC $87 52 hospitals ND $96 18 hospitals NE $128 55 hospitals NH $134 14 hospitals NJ $99 49 hospitals NM $90 10 hospitals NV $79 21 hospitals NY $77 81 hospitals OH $86 106 hospitals OK $86 74 hospitals OR $100 28 hospitals PA $87 119 hospitals PR $26 6 hospitals RI $129 6 hospitals SC $88 41 hospitals SD $89 11 hospitals TN $83 71 hospitals TX $102 251 hospitals UT $183 36 hospitals VA $120 51 hospitals VT $32 8 hospitals WA $157 45 hospitals WI $118 88 hospitals WV $83 19 hospitals WY $56 5 hospitals

Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at U.S. Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)

Fair BaseRate™ $93

Medicare Rate $54

Self-Pay Cash Request Quote

Insurer Median $93

1. Amount on Your Bill or Quote ($) Pre-filled with U.S. Hospital Benchmark’s charged/list benchmark

2. Household Annual Income ($) Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines

3. Household Size (1–8) 2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person

Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $81 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $81

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $81).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Request Prompt-Pay Quote

Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible

Ask U.S. Hospital Benchmark's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$130 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $93 Fair BaseRate ($54 Medicare)

Your bill ($223) is $130 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($93) and 4.1× the $54 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.