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

Prices at 60 hospitals in Michigan, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,624 — 27% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 6.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
McLaren Lapeer Region Lapeer, MI $339 $195 ★ 2/5 186 min 14.6%
Lake Huron Medical Center Port Huron, MI $345 $346 ★ 4/5 169 min 14.6%
Garden City Hospital Garden City, MI $346 $346 ★ 2/5 108 min 16.3%
University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Clinton Saint Johns, MI $356 $628 ★ 4/5 183 min 15.0%
Sparrow Ionia Hospital Ionia, MI $356 $628 ★ 2/5 158 min 15.2%
University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Carson Carson City, MI $359 $356 ★ 4/5 95 min 15.2%
University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Eaton Charlotte, MI $367 $857 ★ 1/5 152 min 15.0%
Hills & Dales General Hospital Cass City, MI $604 $2,365 ★ 4/5 94 min 14.7%
McLaren Flint Flint, MI $637 $195 ★ 2/5 186 min 16.0%
McLaren Bay Region Bay City, MI $641 $195 ★ 1/5 170 min 16.3%
Bronson Methodist Hospital Kalamazoo, MI $654 $572 ★ 4/5 230 min 15.1%
Bronson Battle Creek Hospital Battle Creek, MI $654 $532 ★ 3/5 192 min 15.4%
Bronson South Haven Hospital South Haven, MI $654 $604 138 min 15.3%
Battle Creek VA Medical Center Battle Creek, MI $654 $532
Bronson Lakeview Hospital Paw Paw, MI $654 $671 ★ 5/5 151 min 14.8%
McLaren Northern Michigan Petoskey, MI $818 $195 ★ 3/5 150 min 14.8%
McLaren Oakland Pontiac, MI $821 $195 ★ 2/5 106 min 15.2%
Ascension Providence Hospital, Southfield and Novi Southfield, MI $896 $305 ★ 4/5 192 min 14.2%
Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital Rochester, MI $896 $305 ★ 3/5 195 min 15.2%
Hurley Medical Center Flint, MI $905 $286 ★ 2/5 169 min 15.6%
Ascension River District Hospital East China, MI $965 $389 ★ 3/5 123 min 14.6%
McLaren Macomb Mount Clemens, MI $1,043 $195 ★ 1/5 168 min 15.2%
Henry Ford Health St John Hospital Detroit, MI $1,055 $595 ★ 1/5 170 min 15.3%
University of Michigan Health System Ann Arbor, MI $1,293 $265 ★ 4/5 358 min 15.3%
Tawas St Joseph Hospital Tawas City, MI $1,300 $410 ★ 3/5 124 min 14.8%

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)
$2,944
Cash / self-pay
$1,624
Insurer-negotiated
$437
Medicare pays
$270
$362$3,640
Median cash $1,624  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,624 — about 6.0× 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 $2,944 list price could save about $1,320 (45%).

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 Michigan →