MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in Orange, CA

Prices at 4 hospitals in Orange, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,937 — 153% above the US median ($1,948), roughly 25.7× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
UCI Health-Orange Orange, CA $1,532 $414 ★ 4/5 323 min 14.7%
Chapman Global Medical Center Orange, CA $4,690 $493 ★ 2/5 160 min 15.2%
Children's Hospital of Orange County Orange, CA $5,184 $2,485
Healthbridge Children's Hospital-Orange Orange, CA $5,184 $2,485

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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$4,937
Cash / self-pay
$4,937
Insurer-negotiated
$1,489
Medicare pays
$192
$2,479$5,184
Median cash $4,937  ·  Medicare $192  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $4,937 — about 25.7× the Medicare rate ($192). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($383).

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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.

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in California → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Orange