Prices at 37 hospitals in Washington, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,197 — about the US median ($2,211), roughly 8.1× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison Medical Center | Silverdale, WA | $779 | $326 | ★ 4/5 | 212 min | 13.7% |
| Astria Toppenish Hospital | Toppenish, WA | $938 | $402 | — | 148 min | 14.8% |
| Valley Medical Center | Renton, WA | $1,162 | $1,063 | ★ 2/5 | 200 min | 13.8% |
| Prosser Memorial Hospital | Prosser, WA | $1,201 | $239 | ★ 3/5 | 126 min | 15.2% |
| Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center | Vancouver, WA | $1,336 | — | ★ 4/5 | 272 min | 14.1% |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center | Seattle, WA | $1,508 | $401 | ★ 5/5 | 217 min | 15.3% |
| Multicare Auburn Medical Center | Auburn, WA | $1,691 | $815 | ★ 2/5 | 213 min | 15.1% |
| Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital | Puyallup, WA | $1,691 | $815 | ★ 2/5 | 133 min | 15.1% |
| Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital | Tacoma, WA | $1,691 | $815 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | 15.1% |
| Multicare Covington Medical Center | Covington, WA | $1,691 | $815 | ★ 3/5 | 177 min | 14.8% |
| Astria Sunnyside Hospital | Sunnyside, WA | $1,734 | $979 | ★ 2/5 | 122 min | 15.4% |
| St Clare Hospital | Lakewood, WA | $2,004 | $777 | ★ 4/5 | 163 min | 13.9% |
| Peacehealth United General Medical Center | Sedro Woolley, WA | $2,080 | — | ★ 3/5 | 138 min | 13.7% |
| St Anthony Hospital | Gig Harbor, WA | $2,115 | $777 | ★ 5/5 | 205 min | 14.0% |
| Willapa Harbor Hospital | South Bend, WA | $2,131 | — | — | 128 min | 14.9% |
| Peacehealth Peace Island Medical Center | Friday Harbor, WA | $2,156 | — | — | 102 min | 14.9% |
| Confluence Health Hospital | Wenatchee, WA | $2,171 | $2,155 | ★ 3/5 | 151 min | 15.5% |
| St Francis Community Hospital | Federal Way, WA | $2,182 | $763 | ★ 4/5 | 204 min | 15.1% |
| Peacehealth Southwest Medical Center | Vancouver, WA | $2,211 | $402 | ★ 3/5 | 292 min | 13.2% |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital | Seattle, WA | $2,240 | $612 | — | — | — |
| St Joseph Hospital | Bellingham, WA | $2,303 | $435 | ★ 4/5 | 211 min | 13.2% |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Tacoma, WA | $2,303 | $801 | ★ 3/5 | 212 min | 14.2% |
| Mary Bridge Children's Hospital | Tacoma, WA | $2,392 | $1,906 | — | — | — |
| Olympic Medical Center | Port Angeles, WA | $2,392 | $2,264 | ★ 3/5 | 254 min | 14.4% |
| St Elizabeth Hospital | Enumclaw, WA | $2,457 | $1,804 | ★ 5/5 | 189 min | 14.3% |
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)
Typical cash price here is $2,197 — about 8.1× 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 $3,617 list price could save about $1,420 (39%).
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 Washington →