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

Prices at 86 hospitals in New York, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,589 — 28% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 5.9× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY $300 $201 ★ 3/5 197 min 15.3%
Kenmore Mercy Hospital Kenmore, NY $300 $200 ★ 3/5 230 min 14.4%
Mount St. Mary's Hospital & Health Center Lewiston, NY $300 $200 ★ 2/5 163 min 15.3%
Geneva General Hospital Geneva, NY $447 $266 ★ 2/5 183 min 16.9%
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital of Yates Penn Yan, NY $447 $492 110 min 15.0%
O'connor Hospital Delhi, NY $546 $861 88 min 14.7%
Cobleskill Regional Hospital Cobleskill, NY $546 $505 ★ 4/5 109 min 14.6%
Little Falls Hospital Little Falls, NY $568 $442 ★ 2/5 110 min 15.7%
United Memorial Medical Center Batavia, NY $650 $203 ★ 2/5 164 min 14.7%
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Springville, NY $652 $303 144 min 15.2%
UPMC Chautauqua at Wca Jamestown, NY $736 $761 ★ 2/5 160 min 16.0%
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Niagara Falls, NY $779 $433 ★ 1/5 236 min 15.3%
Unity Hospital Rochester, NY $821 $253 ★ 2/5 294 min 15.3%
Unity Specialty Hospital Rochester, NY $821 $253
Aurelia Osborn Fox Memorial Hospital Oneonta, NY $947 $453 ★ 3/5 123 min 15.2%
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY $967 $200 ★ 2/5 309 min 14.8%
Bronxcare Hospital Center Bronx, NY $978 $413 ★ 1/5 184 min 16.7%
Crouse Hospital Syracuse, NY $1,050 $580 ★ 2/5 227 min 14.9%
Ellis Hospital Schenectady, NY $1,202 $608 ★ 3/5 232 min 14.9%
Westfield Memorial Hospital, Inc Westfield, NY $1,280 $327 114 min 14.8%
Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic Clifton Springs, NY $1,329 $344 ★ 2/5 168 min 16.1%
Newark-Wayne Community Hospital Newark, NY $1,450 $379 ★ 2/5 206 min 16.3%
Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY $1,450 $364 ★ 2/5 237 min 15.8%
Wynn Hospital Utica, NY $1,489 $730 ★ 1/5 215 min 15.6%
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Jamaica, NY $1,557 $459 ★ 1/5 237 min 15.7%

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 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)
$2,495
Cash / self-pay
$1,589
Insurer-negotiated
$505
Medicare pays
$270
$447$6,186
Median cash $1,589  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,589 — about 5.9× 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 $2,495 list price could save about $906 (36%).

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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 New York →