Prices at 7 hospitals in Sacramento, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,995 — 126% above the US median ($2,210), roughly 18.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy General Hospital | Sacramento, CA | $1,736 | $884 | ★ 3/5 | 171 min | 14.7% |
| Methodist Hospital of Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | $2,294 | $1,119 | ★ 3/5 | 185 min | 15.2% |
| University of California Davis Medical Center | Sacramento, CA | $4,166 | $564 | ★ 4/5 | 359 min | 15.2% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | $4,995 | $500 | ★ 4/5 | — | 15.8% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hosp So Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | $4,995 | $500 | ★ 2/5 | — | 15.8% |
| Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | $8,076 | — | ★ 4/5 | 189 min | 14.9% |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern Calif | Sacramento, CA | $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 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)
Typical cash price here is $4,995 — about 18.5× 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 $8,666 list price could save about $3,671 (42%).
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 California → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Sacramento