Prices at 56 hospitals in Tennessee, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,321 — 51% below the US median ($2,696), roughly 4.1× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery | Nashville, TN | $436 | $341 | — | — | 14.0% |
| Hancock County Hospital | Sneedville, TN | $656 | $2,026 | — | 106 min | — |
| Wellmont Bristol Regional Medical Center | Bristol, TN | $669 | $626 | ★ 2/5 | 192 min | 15.8% |
| Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center | Kingsport, TN | $669 | $605 | ★ 2/5 | 207 min | 14.8% |
| Sycamore Shoals Hospital | Elizabethton, TN | $669 | $577 | ★ 2/5 | 154 min | 15.0% |
| Hawkins County Memorial Hospital | Rogersville, TN | $669 | $636 | — | 112 min | 14.9% |
| Greeneville Community Hospital | Greeneville, TN | $669 | $670 | ★ 2/5 | 159 min | 16.0% |
| Johnson City Medical Center | Johnson City, TN | $669 | $527 | ★ 1/5 | 208 min | 15.5% |
| Indian Path Community Hospital | Kingsport, TN | $669 | $508 | — | 147 min | 14.5% |
| Franklin Woods Community Hospital | Johnson City, TN | $669 | $555 | ★ 3/5 | 176 min | 14.2% |
| Johnson County Community Hospital | Mountain City, TN | $669 | $527 | — | 126 min | — |
| Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital | Shelbyville, TN | $684 | $394 | ★ 4/5 | 123 min | 13.6% |
| Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital | Tullahoma, TN | $684 | $392 | ★ 3/5 | 173 min | 15.1% |
| Big South Fork Medical Center | Oneida, TN | $802 | $2,673 | — | 168 min | — |
| Parkwest Medical Center | Knoxville, TN | $867 | $454 | ★ 3/5 | 259 min | 14.9% |
| Cumberland Medical Center | Crossville, TN | $896 | $367 | ★ 4/5 | 201 min | 15.1% |
| Morristown Hamblen Hospital Association | Morristown, TN | $896 | $342 | ★ 2/5 | 199 min | 15.7% |
| Roane Medical Center | Harriman, TN | $896 | $342 | ★ 4/5 | 174 min | 15.5% |
| Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge | Oak Ridge, TN | $896 | $342 | ★ 4/5 | 184 min | 15.0% |
| Leconte Medical Center | Sevierville, TN | $896 | $367 | ★ 5/5 | 195 min | 14.4% |
| Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center | Knoxville, TN | $896 | $342 | ★ 3/5 | 242 min | 15.1% |
| Fort Loudoun Medical Center | Lenoir City, TN | $925 | $342 | ★ 4/5 | 170 min | 14.6% |
| University Health System, Inc | Knoxville, TN | $959 | $1,535 | ★ 4/5 | 245 min | 14.9% |
| East Tennessee Childrens Hospital | Knoxville, TN | $959 | $1,535 | — | — | — |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital Union City | Union City, TN | $1,018 | $587 | ★ 4/5 | 139 min | 14.5% |
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 $1,321 — about 4.1× 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 $4,457 list price could save about $3,136 (70%).
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 mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast cost in other states
All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Tennessee →