MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast cost in Arkansas

Prices at 34 hospitals in Arkansas, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,165 — 47% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 4.3× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Baptist Health Medical Center North Little Rock North Little Rock, AR $584 $471 ★ 1/5 213 min 15.8%
Baptist Health Medical Center-Drew County Monticello, AR $584 $441 ★ 2/5 126 min 18.1%
Baptist Health Medical Center-Stuttgart Stuttgart, AR $584 $441 ★ 3/5 101 min 15.0%
Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock Little Rock, AR $584 $471 ★ 3/5 146 min 16.1%
Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway Conway, AR $584 $471 ★ 2/5 148 min 15.6%
Baptist Health Medical Center Heber Springs Heber Springs, AR $584 $546 ★ 3/5 115 min 15.2%
Howard Memorial Hospital Nashville, AR $640 $1,600 ★ 3/5 106 min 15.4%
Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center Llc Hope, AR $701 $1,752 98 min 14.7%
Southwest Regional Medical Center Llc Hope, AR $701 $1,752
University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR $742 $338 ★ 2/5 253 min 14.7%
Arkansas State Hospital Little Rock, AR $742 $338
Unity Health-Jacksonville Jacksonville, AR $852 130 min 15.2%
Unity Health-Newport Newport, AR $852 104 min 15.4%
Lawrence Memorial Hospital Walnut Ridge, AR $900 $174 93 min 15.0%
Conway Regional Medical Center, Inc Conway, AR $950 $367 ★ 2/5 176 min 16.1%
St Vincent Medical Center/north Sherwood, AR $1,164 $584 ★ 4/5 126 min 15.0%
CHI St Vincent Morrilton Morrilton, AR $1,167 $1,282 93 min 15.0%
CHI-St Vincent Infirmary Little Rock, AR $1,175 $522 ★ 3/5 183 min 14.7%
Baxter Health Mountain Home, AR $1,322 $422 ★ 2/5 190 min 15.7%
Dardanelle Regional Medical Center Dardanelle, AR $1,425 $502 67 min 14.9%
Ozark Health Clinton, AR $1,483 $901 ★ 4/5 150 min 14.7%
Baptist Memorial Hospital Jonesboro, Inc. Jonesboro, AR $1,528 $494 ★ 3/5 128 min 15.3%
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden, Inc West Memphis, AR $1,528 $494 147 min 14.7%
Washington Regional Medical Center Fayetteville, AR $1,886 $396 ★ 4/5 216 min 13.3%
Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas Rogers, AR $2,006 $459 ★ 5/5 162 min 14.0%

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 August 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$3,098
Cash / self-pay
$1,165
Insurer-negotiated
$477
Medicare pays
$270
$584$3,302
Median cash $1,165  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,165 — about 4.3× the Medicare rate ($270). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,098 list price could save about $1,933 (62%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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 lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast cost in other states

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Arkansas →