Prices at 5 hospitals in San Francisco, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $5,229 — 171% above the US median ($1,930), roughly 27.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $3,646 | $339 | ★ 4/5 | — | 14.7% |
| California Pacific Medical Center-Van Ness Campus | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | $2,829 | ★ 3/5 | 184 min | 15.0% |
| California Pacific Medical Ctr-Davies Campus Hosp | San Francisco, CA | $5,458 | $2,803 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | 15.2% |
| UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital | San Francisco, CA | $6,564 | $355 | ★ 3/5 | 140 min | 14.7% |
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 $5,229 — about 27.5× the Medicare rate ($190). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($381).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,984 list price could save about $755 (13%).
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) without contrast prices in California → · All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in San Francisco