MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in Tacoma, WA

Prices at 4 hospitals in Tacoma, WA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,259 — 16% above the US median ($1,948), roughly 11.8× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital Tacoma, WA $1,597 $815 ★ 2/5 210 min 15.1%
Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Tacoma, WA $2,259 $1,328
St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA $2,265 $558 ★ 3/5 212 min 14.2%

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)
$5,648
Cash / self-pay
$2,259
Insurer-negotiated
$753
Medicare pays
$192
$1,729$2,264
Median cash $2,259  ·  Medicare $192  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,259 — about 11.8× 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 $5,648 list price could save about $3,389 (60%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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 Washington → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Tacoma