Prices at 10 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,228 — 66% above the US median ($1,948), roughly 16.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center | Houston, TX | $1,930 | — | ★ 4/5 | 252 min | 14.6% |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | Houston, TX | $1,930 | — | ★ 3/5 | 229 min | 14.8% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest | Houston, TX | $3,228 | $518 | ★ 2/5 | 140 min | 15.6% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare West | Houston, TX | $3,228 | $518 | ★ 1/5 | 112 min | 15.6% |
| Healthbridge Childrens's Hospital of Houston | Houston, TX | $3,228 | $518 | — | — | — |
| St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage | Houston, TX | $3,529 | $1,037 | ★ 4/5 | 214 min | 15.0% |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Houston, TX | $7,832 | $315 | ★ 3/5 | 189 min | 15.2% |
| Texas Orthopedic Hospital | Houston, TX | $13,438 | $518 | — | 106 min | 14.1% |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center | Houston, TX | $14,794 | $518 | ★ 4/5 | 80 min | 14.9% |
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 $3,228 — about 16.8× 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 $6,031 list price could save about $2,803 (46%).
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 Texas → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Houston