MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast cost in Tucson, AZ

Prices at 4 hospitals in Tucson, AZ, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,019 — 62% below the US median ($2,681), roughly 3.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Banner-University Medical Center South Campus Tucson, AZ $520 $465 ★ 4/5 260 min
Banner-University Medical Center Tucson Campus Tucson, AZ $679 $419 ★ 3/5 311 min
Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ $1,359 $372 ★ 2/5 202 min
St. Mary's Hospital Tucson, AZ $10,418 ★ 2/5 176 min

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 September 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)
$4,324
Cash / self-pay
$1,019
Insurer-negotiated
$419
Medicare pays
$319
$568$7,700
Median cash $1,019  ·  Medicare $319  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,019 — about 3.2× the Medicare rate ($319). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($637).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,324 list price could save about $3,305 (76%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices in Arizona → · All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Tucson