Prices at 4 hospitals in Albuquerque, NM, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,991 — 7% below the US median ($2,150), roughly 7.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unm Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,397 | $344 | ★ 2/5 | 279 min | 15.3% |
| Lovelace Medical Center | Albuquerque, NM | $1,991 | $3,318 | ★ 2/5 | 217 min | 14.9% |
| Lovelace Women's Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,991 | $3,318 | ★ 4/5 | 199 min | 14.0% |
| Lovelace Westside Hospital | Albuquerque, NM | $1,991 | $3,318 | ★ 4/5 | 154 min | 15.2% |
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 July 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 $1,991 — about 7.4× the Medicare rate ($269). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($538).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $6,635 list price could save about $4,645 (70%).
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 brain with contrast prices in New Mexico → · All MRI of the brain with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Albuquerque