MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Illinois

Prices at 89 hospitals in Illinois, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,910 — 32% above the US median ($2,211), roughly 10.8× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL $621 ★ 2/5 142 min 15.4%
Touchette Regional Hospital Inc Centreville, IL $893 $1,304 126 min
Saint Anthony Hospital Chicago, IL $932 $1,240 ★ 2/5 191 min 16.5%
Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet, IL $1,300 $391 ★ 1/5 204 min 15.6%
Presence St Marys Hospital Kankakee, IL $1,300 $391 ★ 4/5 146 min 14.0%
Presence Mercy Medical Center Aurora, IL $1,300 $391 ★ 3/5 194 min 14.4%
Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Chicago, IL $1,300 $391 ★ 3/5 189 min 14.2%
Saint Joseph Hospital-Elgin Elgin, IL $1,300 $391 ★ 4/5 145 min 14.3%
Presence Saint Joseph Hospital-Chicago Chicago, IL $1,300 $391 ★ 4/5 137 min 14.9%
Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center Oak Lawn, IL $1,310 $1,393 ★ 3/5 252 min 15.8%
Riverside Medical Center Kankakee, IL $1,318 $437 ★ 4/5 168 min 15.0%
Mc Donough District Hospital Macomb, IL $1,419 $399 ★ 3/5 152 min 15.1%
Alton Memorial Hospital Alton, IL $1,446 $1,421 ★ 4/5 194 min 15.1%
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Barrington, IL $1,525 $1,436 ★ 5/5 194 min 15.0%
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove, IL $1,605 $1,480 ★ 4/5 189 min 14.9%
Louis a Weiss Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL $1,687 $372 ★ 1/5 212 min 16.1%
Montrose Behavioral Health Hospital Chicago, IL $1,687 $372
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago, IL $1,750 $1,543 ★ 2/5 244 min 16.0%
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago, IL $1,788 $1,566 ★ 3/5 236 min 16.2%
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Park Ridge, IL $1,800 $1,542 ★ 4/5 220 min 14.1%
Morrison Community Hospital Morrison, IL $1,840 $1,190 119 min 15.1%
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville, IL $1,865 $1,591 ★ 4/5 216 min 14.8%
West Suburban Medical Center Oak Park, IL $1,872 $372 ★ 1/5 271 min 16.0%
Advocate Sherman Hospital Elgin, IL $1,890 $1,489 ★ 4/5 194 min 15.4%
Community Hospital of Staunton Staunton, IL $1,970 $2,955 14.8%

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)
$4,758
Cash / self-pay
$2,910
Insurer-negotiated
$1,383
Medicare pays
$270
$1,300$6,406
Median cash $2,910  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,910 — about 10.8× the Medicare rate ($270). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,758 list price could save about $1,848 (39%).

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.

By city

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in other states

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Illinois →