MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast cost in Dayton, OH

Prices at 4 hospitals in Dayton, OH, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,281 — 48% above the US median ($2,221), roughly 12.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Kettering Health Dayton Dayton, OH $1,062 $531 ★ 4/5 135 min 15.1%
Dayton Childrens Hospital Dayton, OH $3,163 $340
Miami Valley Hospital Dayton, OH $3,400 $436 ★ 3/5 161 min 16.0%
Shriners Hospitals for Children Dayton, OH $8,666 $381

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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$3,959
Cash / self-pay
$3,281
Insurer-negotiated
$409
Medicare pays
$270
$1,692$7,086
Median cash $3,281  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $3,281 — about 12.2× 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 $3,959 list price could save about $678 (17%).

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.

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