MRI of the chest cost in California

Prices at 174 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,452 — 66% above the US median ($2,083), roughly 9.3× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Fresno Surgical Hospital Fresno, CA $609 $475 — — —
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $639 $449 ★ 4/5 194 min —
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA $639 $449 ★ 5/5 186 min —
Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA $639 $449 ★ 5/5 — —
Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas Encinitas, CA $639 $449 ★ 4/5 200 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $696 $903 — 114 min —
Community Hospital of San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA $788 $796 ★ 3/5 153 min —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $807 $505 ★ 3/5 191 min —
Mercy Medical Center Merced, CA $902 $842 ★ 3/5 224 min —
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $971 $899 ★ 1/5 160 min —
St Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton Stockton, CA $1,026 $582 ★ 3/5 225 min —
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $1,044 $472 ★ 2/5 178 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $1,044 $472 ★ 4/5 190 min —
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $1,071 $464 ★ 1/5 306 min —
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $1,091 — ★ 2/5 194 min —
St Elizabeth Community Hospital Red Bluff, CA $1,247 $1,426 ★ 4/5 133 min —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $1,296 — — 121 min —
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Banning, CA $1,383 $447 ★ 3/5 194 min —
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $1,431 $828 ★ 3/5 240 min —
San Joaquin General Hospital French Camp, CA $1,434 $620 ★ 2/5 213 min —
UCI Health-Los Alamitos Los Alamitos, CA $1,440 $662 ★ 1/5 238 min —
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA $1,615 $1,257 ★ 3/5 170 min —
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $1,615 $1,257 ★ 3/5 193 min —
Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CA $1,615 $1,257 ★ 3/5 197 min —
Antelope Valley Hospital Lancaster, CA $1,674 $474 ★ 1/5 264 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 October 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)
$5,410
Cash / self-pay
$3,452
Insurer-negotiated
$871
Medicare pays
$371
$639$6,654
Median cash $3,452  ·  Medicare $371  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $3,452 — about 9.3× the Medicare rate ($371). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($743).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,410 list price could save about $1,958 (36%).

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.

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MRI of the chest cost in other states

All MRI of the chest prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →