Prices at 3 hospitals in Detroit, MI, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,935 — 102% above the US median ($1,948), roughly 20.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Ford Health St John Hospital | Detroit, MI | $925 | $494 | ★ 1/5 | 170 min | 15.3% |
| Detroit Receiving Hospital | Detroit, MI | $3,935 | — | ★ 1/5 | 143 min | 15.7% |
| Children's Hospital of Michigan | Detroit, MI | $5,015 | — | — | — | — |
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 June 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 $3,935 — about 20.5× 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 $5,247 list price could save about $1,312 (25%).
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) without contrast prices in Michigan → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Detroit