Alaska is the most expensive state to undergo spinal fusion surgery and Iowa is the least expensive, according to Sidecar Health's care calculator, which outlines the average cash price for every procedure, test and drug in the U.S. healthcare system.
Sidecar Health is a startup that aims to disrupt the health insurance industry, according to its website. The company updates its database using local market data, government fee schedules, provider information and anonymized Sidecar Health transactions.
Editor's note: Estimated costs are based on cash prices that providers historically charged on average for spinal fusion and vary depending on where the service is done. Prices do not include anesthesia, imaging, and other physician fees that typically accompany spinal fusion.
Here is the average cash price for inpatient spinal fusion in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.:
Alabama: $39,438
Alaska $53,366
Arizona: $44,631
Arkansas: $39,096
California: $48,979
Colorado: $43,111
Connecticut: $47,172
Delaware: $45,838
Florida: $43,305
Georgia: $40,590
Hawaii: $41,055
Idaho: $39,889
Illinois: $45,273
Indiana: $41,300
Iowa: $37,538
Kansas: $38,872
Kentucky: $39,775
Louisiana: $44,137
Maine: $39,873
Maryland: $46,944
Massachusetts: $48,376
Michigan: $44,559
Minnesota: $50,153
Mississippi: $40,113
Missouri: $39,640
Montana: $41,245
Nebraska: $40,307
Nevada: $42,583
New Hampshire: $42,714
New Jersey: $51,745
New Mexico: $39,319
New York: $48,688
North Carolina: $39,079
North Dakota: $43,423
Ohio: $40,633
Oklahoma: $43,482
Oregon: $44,352
Pennsylvania: $45,771
Rhode Island: $48,789
South Carolina: $41,642
South Dakota: $38,800
Tennessee: $39,134
Texas: $42,292
Utah: $44,073
Vermont: $43,267
Virginia: $42,089
Washington: $46,949
Washington, D.C.: $45,437
West Virginia: $42,119
Wisconsin: $44,458
Wyoming: $43,280