Prices at 8 hospitals in Baltimore, MD, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,180 — 56% below the US median ($2,681), roughly 3.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center Inc | Baltimore, MD | $721 | — | ★ 3/5 | 242 min | 15.5% |
| VA Maryland Healthcare System-Baltimore | Baltimore, MD | $721 | — | ★ 2/5 | — | 17.2% |
| Medstar Harbor Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $931 | $950 | ★ 4/5 | 208 min | 13.7% |
| Greater Baltimore Medical Center | Baltimore, MD | $1,168 | $1,192 | ★ 5/5 | 231 min | 13.5% |
| Medstar Union Memorial Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $1,192 | $1,217 | ★ 5/5 | 216 min | 13.5% |
| Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $1,224 | $1,249 | ★ 3/5 | 234 min | 14.9% |
| University of Md Medical Center Midtown Campus | Baltimore, MD | $1,258 | — | ★ 3/5 | 246 min | 14.4% |
| University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD | $1,297 | — | ★ 3/5 | 330 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 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 $1,180 — about 3.7× the Medicare rate ($319). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($637).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,204 list price could save about $24 (2%).
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 Baltimore
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenifer Pitman, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 69 |
| David Yousem, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 53 |
| Laura Fayad, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 45 |
| Majid Khan, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 39 |
| Francis Deng, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 28 |
| Vivek Yedavalli, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 27 |
| Doris Lin, M.D., PH.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 20 |
| Gary Gong, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 17 |
| Priyanka Annigeri, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 17 |
All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices in Maryland → · All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Baltimore