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Reviewed by John Caruso, FSA, MAAA • Data last updated

Xray Cost in North Carolina (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay

What does a xray cost in North Carolina?

An xray in North Carolina is priced differently for each type of coverage. With commercial insurance it typically runs $95–$152, facility and physician fees combined. Medicare pays one national rate to every provider, and you generally owe about 20% of it (around $18) after the Part B deductible. Without insurance, posted hospital cash prices run $40–$268. The sections below break this down by coverage and by insurer. This estimate is based on CMS fee schedules and hospital price transparency data published under federal law.

Three low-priced facilities in North Carolina, from hospital price files

  • Wakemed Raleigh Campus $40
  • Wayne Memorial Hospital · Goldsboro, NC $42
  • CarolinaEast Medical Center $45

All 96 facilities are listed below, free.

Where xray costs vary in North Carolina

Pins show hospitals with price-transparency data (colored by vs. state average) and nearby ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and other facilities (colored by type). Click any pin for facility name and estimated cost range.

Hospital (below avg) Hospital (above avg) Click a pin for details.

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An X-ray is cheap - until a hospital setting and a separate radiologist bill turn it into two charges.

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Cheapest Xray Providers in North Carolina

Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.

# Facility City Price vs median ($98)
1 Wakemed Raleigh Campus NC $40 $58 below
2 Wayne Memorial Hospital Goldsboro, NC $42 $56 below
3 CarolinaEast Medical Center NC $45 $53 below
4 DUKE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM, INC. Doing Business As: DURHAM REGIONAL HOSPITAL Durham, NC $49 $49 below
5 DUKE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL Durham, NC $49 $49 below
6 DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL Mooresville, NC $57 $41 below
7 BLUE RIDGE REGIONAL HOSPITAL Spruce Pine, NC $59 $39 below
8 Carteret County General Hospital Corporation Morehead City, NC $60 $38 below

Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.

Before you book: three questions that change the price

  1. Is this the self-pay price, and does it include the doctor, anesthesia and any lab or pathology? Those are often billed separately.
  2. Can you give me the price in writing, with the billing codes it covers?
  3. What happens to the price if something extra is needed during the procedure?

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost →  ·  When the bills arrive, we check them for errors →

Quick take

  • Wakemed Raleigh Campus is the lowest-cost option at $40 - $58 below the median posted price ($98), just by choosing where you go.
  • Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met - the median cash price here is $98, and it's often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied.
  • Freestanding ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) are often 30-60% cheaper than hospital outpatient departments for the same procedure and may not appear in this hospital-only dataset - ask your doctor if one is an option.
X-ray prices by coverage in North Carolina, October 2026
CoverageHospitals with a rateTypical rangeMedian
Medicare (national rate)—$89 to $107$89
With insurance (commercial, average)82$95 to $200$137
Without insurance (cash price)110$40 to $268$98
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina66$72 to $205$124
Aetna71$103 to $250$143
Cigna61$62 to $215$149
UnitedHealthcare46$64 to $201$111

Rates are negotiated allowed amounts and cash prices from hospital price-transparency files (October 2026), shown at each hospital’s lowest-priced typical billing code for this procedure. Facility fees only. The typical range is the middle 80% of hospitals, not a quote for your visit.

How much does an X-ray cost with Medicare in North Carolina?

Medicare's national hospital outpatient payment for X-ray is about $89 to $107 (typically near $89). After the $257 Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, about $18 on a $89 payment, with no out-of-pocket cap unless you have supplemental coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan.

Doctor, anesthesia and pathology fees are billed separately. Medicare rates are national CMS amounts, adjusted slightly by local wage levels.

How much does an X-ray cost with insurance in North Carolina?

Across 82 North Carolina hospitals, the negotiated rates commercial insurers pay for X-ray average $95 to $200 per hospital, with a median near $137. That is the amount your plan and you pay the hospital together; you owe your deductible, then coinsurance, up to your out-of-pocket maximum.

Each hospital’s figure is the average of the commercial insurers it lists. Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid rates are excluded.

How much does an X-ray cost without insurance in North Carolina?

Cash (self-pay) prices for X-ray at 110 North Carolina hospitals range from $40 to $268, with a median of $98. Ask for the cash or self-pay price and for any financial-assistance discount before you book; both can be lower than the posted price.

Cash prices are the hospital’s published discounted rate for patients paying without insurance.

How much does an X-ray cost with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina negotiated rates for X-ray at 66 North Carolina hospitals range from $72 to $205, with a median near $124. Your own cost depends on your plan’s deductible and coinsurance, and on whether the hospital is in your network.

Includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Anthem plans listed by each hospital.

How much does an X-ray cost with Aetna in North Carolina?

Aetna negotiated rates for X-ray at 71 North Carolina hospitals range from $103 to $250, with a median near $143. If a hospital is out of network for your Aetna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How much does an X-ray cost with Cigna in North Carolina?

Cigna negotiated rates for X-ray at 61 North Carolina hospitals range from $62 to $215, with a median near $149. If a hospital is out of network for your Cigna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How much does an X-ray cost with UnitedHealthcare in North Carolina?

UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates for X-ray at 46 North Carolina hospitals range from $64 to $201, with a median near $111. If a hospital is out of network for your UnitedHealthcare plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.

How where you go changes what you pay for xray

The same xray bundles different services depending on the setting - facility fee, surgeon fee, and anesthesia each arrive as separate bills. Estimated ranges below reflect the typical full bundled cost, including all expected charges.

Hospital Outpatient
$56–$1,070
  • Facility fee $17–$826
  • Professional fee $39–$244

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

Hospital Inpatient
$59–$662
  • Facility fee $20–$418
  • Professional fee $39–$244

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

Independent Imaging Center
$40–$123
  • technical_component $28–$83
  • professional_interpretation $12–$40

Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers

Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare) and Wake Forest Baptist Health have merged into one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the Southeast. Duke Health and UNC Health anchor the Research Triangle academic tier, creating a market where major academic centers hold outsized pricing leverage. North Carolina has been an active target for FTC scrutiny of hospital consolidation. X-ray is the most commoditized of all imaging procedures, and price differences are almost entirely explained by facility type: a hospital outpatient chest X-ray can cost 5–10× more than the same study at an urgent care center or independent imaging clinic. For non-emergency X-rays, asking your physician for a referral to an outpatient imaging center rather than a hospital radiology department is the simplest and most reliable cost reduction available.

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Why prices vary - and what it means for your coverage

A small number of hospitals (10) report prices above $272, including TRANSYLVANIA REGIONAL HOSPITAL at $556, which drives most of the overall spread - excluding them, most facilities cluster in a much tighter band. Setting matters too: the median outpatient price is $93 versus $86 inpatient, so where a procedure happens often matters more than which hospital you pick. Whether the scan happens in a hospital outpatient department (which adds a separate facility fee) or a freestanding imaging center is usually the single biggest driver of price for this procedure.

None of the prices above are what you'll necessarily owe: your deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and each provider's network status all still apply.

Your situation Estimated out-of-pocket
Deductible not yet met ~$116
Deductible met - 20% coinsurance ~$23
Out-of-network provider $255+

Frequently asked questions: X-ray costs in North Carolina

How much does an X-ray cost in North Carolina?

The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $35, with most facilities between $23 and $50 (based on 96 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). That is the hospital's negotiated rate alone; with physician fees, a commercially insured patient's full episode is typically $95–$152. Posted cash prices at the middle 80% of North Carolina hospitals run $40–$268; outlier facilities above and below that range are left out. What you pay depends on the facility, your insurance, and whether you have met your deductible.

Where is the cheapest place to get an X-ray in North Carolina?

Based on declared prices, the lowest posted price in our North Carolina data is Wakemed Raleigh Campus at about $40. By metro, Durham has the lowest median ($49). Freestanding ambulatory surgery and imaging centers are often cheaper still and may not appear in hospital price data - ask your doctor whether one is an option.

Why is an X-ray so much cheaper at some North Carolina hospitals?

Typical prices vary about 2.2× (25th to 70th percentile of negotiated rates) because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In North Carolina, the median cash (self-pay) price is $98 versus a median negotiated rate of $137 - cash is the lower number at many hospitals. Asking for the cash price as well as your insurer's negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on what you pay.

How much will I actually pay out of pocket for an X-ray in North Carolina?

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the facility is in-network - not just the sticker price. If you have not met your deductible, you will typically pay the negotiated rate in full until you do. Use the CostKits cost forecaster to estimate your specific out-of-pocket amount before you go.

Before you book

Other procedures in North Carolina

Xray, elsewhere

CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account).

Other Procedure Costs in North Carolina

Imaging and scans

Heart and cardiac tests

Sleep and breathing tests

Scopes and screening

Bone, joint and pain

General surgery

Lab tests

Ear, nose and throat

Urology and women's health

Eye care

Infusions

Emergency care

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About the Author

John Caruso, FSA, MAAA

Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.

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Published July 17, 2026 · Updated October 29, 2026

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