Prices at 3 hospitals in Winston-salem, NC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,407 — 27% below the US median ($1,939), roughly 7.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center | Winston-salem, NC | $1,386 | $499 | ★ 4/5 | 197 min | 14.2% |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital | Winston-salem, NC | $1,428 | $1,103 | ★ 4/5 | 187 min | 15.1% |
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 $1,407 — about 7.3× 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 $2,583 list price could save about $1,176 (46%).
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 Winston-salem
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gina Paek, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 523 |
| Andrew Deibler, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 325 |
| Bhumi Kesar | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 247 |
| Donald Heck, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 221 |
| Edward Lopez, D.O. | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 165 |
| James Sancrant, DO | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 147 |
| Morry Brown, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 142 |
| Bradley Vandyke, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 132 |
| Thomas Wiggins, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston-Salem, NC | 131 |
| Constantinos Spyris, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 115 |
| Sean Ploof, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 110 |
| William Patton, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Winston Salem, NC | 101 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in North Carolina → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Winston-salem