Prices at 4 hospitals in Albuquerque, NM, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,282 — 34% below the US median ($1,939), roughly 6.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unm Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,178 | $235 | ★ 2/5 | 273 min | — |
| Lovelace Medical Center | Albuquerque, NM | $1,282 | $2,137 | ★ 2/5 | 212 min | — |
| Lovelace Women's Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,282 | $2,137 | ★ 4/5 | 205 min | — |
| Lovelace Westside Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,282 | $2,137 | ★ 4/5 | 159 min | — |
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 September 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 $1,282 — about 6.7× the Medicare rate ($192). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($383).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,273 list price could save about $2,991 (70%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Albuquerque
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Collingwood, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 237 |
| Max Sale, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 224 |
| Mark Depper, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 206 |
| Jimmy Leung, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 192 |
| Evan Knaus, DO | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Albuquerque, NM | 132 |
| Lance Dell, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 129 |
| Richard Suhler, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 112 |
| Luis Centenera, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 109 |
| Christopher Creel | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 101 |
| Douglas Alden, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 90 |
| Francine Heying, FNP-C, CNP | Nurse Practitioner | Albuquerque, NM | 87 |
| Gamaliel Lorenzo | Diagnostic Radiology | Albuquerque, NM | 84 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in New Mexico → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Albuquerque