Prices at 5 hospitals in Birmingham, AL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $558 — 71% below the US median ($1,920), roughly 2.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Vincent's East | Birmingham, AL | $558 | $376 | ★ 3/5 | 156 min | 14.6% |
| St Vincent's Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $558 | $376 | ★ 3/5 | 245 min | 15.3% |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | $893 | $1,651 | — | — | — |
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 $558 — about 2.9× the Medicare rate ($190). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($381).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,077 list price could save about $1,519 (73%).
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 Birmingham
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton Smith, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Birmingham, AL | 57 |
| Srinivas Mallempati, M.D. | Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation | Birmingham, AL | 33 |
| Philip Chapman, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Birmingham, AL | 32 |
| Gregory Gullung, MD | Orthopedic Surgery | Birmingham, AL | 23 |
| Jinsuh Kim | Diagnostic Radiology | Birmingham, AL | 12 |
All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) without contrast prices in Alabama → · All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Birmingham