MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in Salt Lake City, UT

Prices at 3 hospitals in Salt Lake City, UT, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,129 — 9% above the US median ($1,948), roughly 11.1× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Holy Cross Hospital-Salt Lake Salt Lake City, UT $2,129 $2,439 ★ 3/5 145 min 14.5%
VA Salt Lake City Healthcare-George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center Salt Lake City, UT $2,129 $2,439 ★ 4/5 14.0%
St Mark's Hospital Salt Lake City, UT $2,769 $612 ★ 4/5 108 min 14.0%

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)
$5,323
Cash / self-pay
$2,129
Insurer-negotiated
$2,439
Medicare pays
$192
$2,129$2,641
Median cash $2,129  ·  Medicare $192  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,129 — about 11.1× 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 $5,323 list price could save about $3,194 (60%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

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 Utah → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Salt Lake City