MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast cost in Denver, CO

Prices at 4 hospitals in Denver, CO, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $8,276 — 274% above the US median ($2,210), roughly 30.7× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
National Jewish Health Denver, CO $1,729 $800
HCA Healthone Rose Denver, CO $14,822 $828 ★ 4/5 129 min 14.6%
HCA Healthone Presbyterian St Luke's Denver, CO $18,120 $828 ★ 2/5 117 min 15.4%

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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$8,943
Cash / self-pay
$8,276
Insurer-negotiated
$828
Medicare pays
$270
$1,269$17,130
Median cash $8,276  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $8,276 — about 30.7× the Medicare rate ($270). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $8,943 list price could save about $668 (7%).

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 lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices in Colorado → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Denver