How Much Does an X-Ray Cost in Massachusetts in 2026?
The price of an x-ray in Massachusetts depends far more on where you get it than on the x-ray itself. The same two-view chest x-ray can cost under $100 at an independent imaging center and several hundred dollars in a hospital emergency room. This guide uses published 2026 prices - the Medicare fee schedule, prepaid cash prices listed on MDsave and state price tools - rather than estimates of individual hospitals' charges.
How much does an x-ray cost in Massachusetts?
Without insurance: about $85-$500 in 2026. Independent imaging centers are cheapest (published prepaid chest x-rays from $89 on MDsave); urgent care adds a visit fee; hospital outpatient departments and ERs are the most expensive.
With Medicare: Medicare pays about $33 nationally for a two-view chest x-ray in 2026; you owe 20% after the $283 Part B deductible.
With MassHealth: medically necessary x-rays are covered with little or no cost sharing.
2026 Medicare Rates and Typical Cash Prices by X-Ray Type
Medicare's physician fee schedule is a useful floor: it is what Medicare pays for the complete study (taking the image plus the radiologist's reading) at an independent imaging center. Cash prices at independent centers usually run about two to three times the Medicare rate, and hospital-based imaging more.
| X-Ray Type (CPT) | Medicare 2026 National Rate | Typical Self-Pay Range (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Chest, 2 views (71046) | $33 | $75-$350 |
| Hand, 3+ views (73130) | $38 | $75-$300 |
| Ankle, 3+ views (73610) | $37 | $75-$300 |
| Knee, 3 views (73562) | $42 | $80-$350 |
| Lumbar spine, 2-3 views (72100) | $40 | $90-$450 |
Medicare rates are national non-facility amounts from the CMS 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (conversion factor $33.4009) and are adjusted slightly by region in Massachusetts. Self-pay ranges are our estimates spanning independent imaging centers to hospital outpatient departments; emergency room bills are usually higher.
Lowest Published Cash Prices for X-Rays in Massachusetts
These are prepaid, bundled self-pay prices for a chest x-ray (including the radiologist's reading) listed on MDsave when we checked in October 2026. MDsave's Massachusetts chest x-ray prices ranged from $89 (a single listing). Only one Massachusetts facility was listed when we checked. Prices change, so confirm on MDsave or with the facility before booking.
Where X-Rays Cost the Most in Massachusetts
We do not publish per-hospital prices without a source, but the pattern is consistent across Massachusetts: the setting drives the bill more than the hospital's name. Large systems in the state include Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Boston Medical Center and UMass Memorial Health; their hospital-based imaging generally carries facility fees that independent centers do not charge.
What Drives X-Ray Prices in Massachusetts
Facility type
Independent imaging centers usually charge the least, urgent care clinics are in the middle, and hospital outpatient departments and emergency rooms charge the most because they bill a facility fee in addition to the imaging and the radiologist's interpretation.
Local market
Massachusetts has some of the highest hospital prices in the country, driven largely by the Boston academic medical centers. Independent imaging centers outside hospital campuses are usually far cheaper for the same x-ray. The state's Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) and Health Policy Commission publish reports on price variation between providers.
Insurance status
Insured patients pay the plan's negotiated rate until the deductible is met, which can exceed a facility's cash price. If you have a high deductible, compare the cash price with your estimated in-network cost before you book.
How to Save Money on an X-Ray in Massachusetts
Ask for the self-pay price by CPT code
Get the CPT code from your doctor (for example 71046 for a two-view chest x-ray) and ask two or three facilities for their bundled self-pay price, including the radiologist's reading.
Use an independent imaging center for non-urgent x-rays
With a doctor's order, an outpatient imaging center is usually the cheapest option and avoids hospital facility fees.
Check Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA)
Massachusetts has a public price-comparison resource: Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA). Use it to compare facilities before you call.
Request a good-faith estimate
If you are uninsured or paying cash, the federal No Surprises Act entitles you to a written good-faith estimate when you schedule at least three business days ahead. If the final bill is $400 or more above the estimate, you can dispute it.
Ask about financial assistance and sliding-fee clinics
Nonprofit hospitals must have a financial assistance policy, and federally qualified health centers charge on a sliding-fee scale based on income. Find one near you with the HRSA health center locator.
Choose urgent care over the ER when appropriate
For minor injuries, an urgent care clinic with on-site x-ray is typically far cheaper than an emergency room. For serious injuries, go to the ER.
Insurance, Medicare and Medicaid Coverage in Massachusetts
- Private insurance: medically necessary x-rays are covered, but you pay the negotiated rate until your deductible is met, then a copay or coinsurance. In-network independent imaging centers usually mean a lower bill.
- Medicare: Part B covers diagnostic x-rays. In 2026 you pay the $283 annual Part B deductible, then 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
- MassHealth: covers medically necessary x-rays with little or no cost sharing at participating facilities. Massachusetts expanded Medicaid under the ACA in 2014, building on its own 2006 coverage law, and has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country.
- Surprise bills: the federal No Surprises Act limits out-of-network bills for emergency care and for out-of-network providers at in-network facilities.
Medical Disclaimer
The information provided on XRayCost.com is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or medical procedure. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Sources
- CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule via FastRVU (CPT 71046, 73130, 73610, 73562, 72100)
- Medicare.gov - Medicare costs (2026 Part B deductible)
- MDsave - Chest X-ray prices, Massachusetts (checked October 2026)
- Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA)
- MassHealth
- KFF - Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions
- CMS - Hospital Price Transparency
- CMS - No Surprises Act and good-faith estimates
- HRSA - Find a Health Center
Last Updated: October 12, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions About X-Ray Costs in Massachusetts
Most self-pay x-rays in Massachusetts cost roughly $85-$500 in 2026, depending on the body part and where you go. The lowest published prepaid price for a chest x-ray we found on MDsave was $89, and MDsave's Massachusetts listings ranged from $89 (a single listing). Independent imaging centers are usually the cheapest, urgent care clinics add a visit fee, and hospital outpatient departments and emergency rooms charge the most because they add facility fees. For reference, Medicare's 2026 national rate for a two-view chest x-ray is about $33.
Published self-pay prices are scarce in Massachusetts. When we checked MDsave in October 2026, the only Massachusetts listing for a chest x-ray was Rayus Radiology in Dedham at $89. Massachusetts has some of the highest hospital prices in the country, driven largely by the Boston academic medical centers. Independent imaging centers outside hospital campuses are usually far cheaper for the same x-ray. The state's Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) and Health Policy Commission publish reports on price variation between providers. Community health centers charge on a sliding-fee scale if you qualify, and independent or clinic-based imaging is usually cheaper than hospital outpatient or ER imaging - call and ask for the self-pay price by CPT code.
Yes. MassHealth covers medically necessary x-rays ordered by an enrolled provider, usually with little or no cost sharing, as long as you use a participating facility. Massachusetts expanded Medicaid under the ACA in 2014, building on its own 2006 coverage law, and has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country. If you are uninsured, check your eligibility before paying cash.
Medicare's 2026 national physician fee schedule rate is about $33 for a two-view chest x-ray (CPT 71046), $38 for a hand x-ray (73130) and $42 for a three-view knee x-ray (73562); rates in Massachusetts are adjusted slightly for local costs, and hospital outpatient x-rays are paid under a separate hospital schedule. With Original Medicare you pay 20% of the approved amount after the 2026 Part B deductible of $283, so once the deductible is met a chest x-ray at an independent center typically costs you well under $15.
Urgent care is almost always cheaper than the emergency room for the same x-ray. ER bills include a facility fee and an emergency visit charge on top of the imaging and the radiologist's reading, so a simple x-ray visit can total several hundred dollars or more. Urgent care clinics with on-site x-ray usually charge a visit fee plus the x-ray, and an independent imaging center with a doctor's order is typically cheapest. Use the ER for serious injuries or emergencies regardless of cost.
Ask your doctor for the CPT code (for example 71046 for a two-view chest x-ray), then call the facility for its self-pay price or ask your insurer for an estimate. Under federal rules, every hospital must publish its prices, including discounted cash prices, and uninsured or self-pay patients who schedule at least three business days ahead are entitled to a written good-faith estimate under the No Surprises Act. Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) is the most useful local tool for comparing prices. Prepaid marketplaces such as MDsave and FAIR Health Consumer's cost lookup are also useful benchmarks.
Usually. Boston's academic hospitals command some of the highest negotiated prices in the U.S., and their hospital-based imaging carries a facility fee. Community hospitals and independent imaging centers elsewhere in the state generally cost less, and the one Massachusetts listing on MDsave (Rayus Radiology in Dedham) offered a prepaid chest x-ray for $89. Massachusetts law also requires insurers to give members cost estimates on request, so ask your plan before booking.