Prices at 3 hospitals in Washington DC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,166 — 24% above the US median ($2,543), roughly 6.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard University Hospital Corp | Washington, DC | $1,268 | $1,268 | ★ 1/5 | 232 min | 14.9% |
| Medstar Washington Hospital Center | Washington, DC | $3,166 | $1,624 | ★ 3/5 | 400 min | 14.4% |
| Medstar Georgetown University Hospital | Washington, DC | $3,464 | $1,521 | ★ 3/5 | 371 min | 14.7% |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $3,166 — about 6.8× the Medicare rate ($466). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($932).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,871 list price could save about $1,705 (35%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
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MRI of the chest without contrast cost in other states
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