Prices at 7 hospitals in Kansas City, MO, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $826 — 57% below the US median ($1,939), roughly 4.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph Medical Center | Kansas City, MO | $237 | $250 | ★ 3/5 | 126 min | 14.9% |
| The Children's Mercy Hospital | Kansas City, MO | $771 | $155 | — | — | — |
| Truman Medical Center Hospital Hill | Kansas City, MO | $826 | $413 | ★ 3/5 | 191 min | 15.7% |
| University Health Lakewood Medical Center | Kansas City, MO | $826 | $396 | ★ 4/5 | 145 min | 14.4% |
| St Lukes Hospital of Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $2,041 | $1,214 | ★ 5/5 | 222 min | 14.5% |
| Saint Lukes North Hospital | Kansas City, MO | $3,853 | $1,782 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | 13.7% |
| Research Medical Center | Kansas City, MO | $16,770 | $711 | ★ 2/5 | 89 min | 15.9% |
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 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 $826 — about 4.3× 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 $3,401 list price could save about $2,575 (76%).
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 Kansas City
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebiyu Beteselassie, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 1,087 |
| Scott Reifeiss | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 547 |
| William Smith, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 250 |
| Luke Wilson, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 220 |
| Matthew Sigley, D.O. | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 187 |
| Jamie Crist | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 140 |
| Ross Holwerda | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 132 |
| Numukunda Darboe, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 124 |
| Charles Horner, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 122 |
| Richard Kuckelman, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 109 |
| Julia Neperud, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 106 |
| Patrick O'toole, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Kansas City, MO | 103 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Missouri → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Kansas City