What spinal fusion surgery costs: United States vs. other countries
Surgery that joins bones in the lower or middle back, with no major complications.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for spinal fusion surgery, from one report on the same basis: $59,582 in the United States, $15,549 in the United Kingdom, $8,627 in Germany, $24,164 in Australia. Source: International Health Care Cost Comparison Report 2024 (Report dated October 2024. Prices are for 2022.). These are not what one patient was charged; what patients pay is in the table.
| Country | Price paid to the hospital | What a patient usually pays | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $59,582 (iFHP) | $3,166 on average with employer insurance, for a one-level fusion in the lower back (JAAOS) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | Not yet sourced | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| United Kingdom | $15,549 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| France | Not yet sourced | National insurance pays 80% of a hospital stay (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Germany | $8,627 (iFHP) | €10 a day in hospital, for at most 28 days a year (BMG Germany) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥328,900: the national fee for a fusion from the back of the lower spine alone. The hospital stay, anaesthesia and materials are paid separately (MHLW Japan) | 30% of the bill for most adults, with a monthly cap (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $24,164 (iFHP) | No charge in a public hospital (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.