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

Prices at 57 hospitals in Tennessee, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,014 — 54% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 3.8× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery Nashville, TN $436 $293 14.0%
Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Shelbyville, TN $582 $345 ★ 4/5 123 min 13.6%
Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital Tullahoma, TN $582 $338 ★ 3/5 173 min 15.1%
Hancock County Hospital Sneedville, TN $625 $1,928 106 min
Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center Bristol, TN $637 $523 ★ 2/5 192 min 15.8%
Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center Kingsport, TN $637 $523 ★ 2/5 207 min 14.8%
Sycamore Shoals Hospital Elizabethton, TN $637 $555 ★ 2/5 154 min 15.0%
Hawkins County Memorial Hospital Rogersville, TN $637 $575 112 min 14.9%
Greeneville Community Hospital Greeneville, TN $637 $555 ★ 2/5 159 min 16.0%
Johnson City Medical Center Johnson City, TN $637 $511 ★ 1/5 208 min 15.5%
Indian Path Community Hospital Kingsport, TN $637 $503 147 min 14.5%
Franklin Woods Community Hospital Johnson City, TN $637 $555 ★ 3/5 176 min 14.2%
Johnson County Community Hospital Mountain City, TN $637 $511 126 min
Parkwest Medical Center Knoxville, TN $705 $454 ★ 3/5 259 min 14.9%
Cumberland Medical Center Crossville, TN $729 $367 ★ 4/5 201 min 15.1%
Morristown Hamblen Hospital Association Morristown, TN $729 $342 ★ 2/5 199 min 15.7%
Roane Medical Center Harriman, TN $729 $342 ★ 4/5 174 min 15.5%
Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge Oak Ridge, TN $729 $342 ★ 4/5 184 min 15.0%
Leconte Medical Center Sevierville, TN $729 $367 ★ 5/5 195 min 14.4%
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Knoxville, TN $729 $342 ★ 3/5 242 min 15.1%
Fort Loudoun Medical Center Lenoir City, TN $752 $342 ★ 4/5 170 min 14.6%
Big South Fork Medical Center Oneida, TN $802 $2,673 168 min
University Health System, Inc Knoxville, TN $851 $1,361 ★ 4/5 245 min 14.9%
East Tennessee Childrens Hospital Knoxville, TN $851 $1,361
Baptist Memorial Hospital Union City Union City, TN $948 $587 ★ 4/5 139 min 14.5%

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)
$4,245
Cash / self-pay
$1,014
Insurer-negotiated
$498
Medicare pays
$270
$637$9,552
Median cash $1,014  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,014 — about 3.8× 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 $4,245 list price could save about $3,231 (76%).

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 Tennessee →