Prices at 8 hospitals in Baltimore, MD, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $661 — 66% below the US median ($1,939), roughly 3.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center Inc | Baltimore, MD | $404 | — | ★ 3/5 | 242 min | 15.5% |
| VA Maryland Healthcare System-Baltimore | Baltimore, MD | $404 | — | ★ 2/5 | — | 17.2% |
| Medstar Harbor Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $521 | $532 | ★ 4/5 | 208 min | 13.7% |
| Greater Baltimore Medical Center | Baltimore, MD | $654 | $667 | ★ 5/5 | 231 min | 13.5% |
| Medstar Union Memorial Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $668 | $681 | ★ 5/5 | 216 min | 13.5% |
| Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital | Baltimore, MD | $685 | $699 | ★ 3/5 | 234 min | 14.9% |
| University of Md Medical Center Midtown Campus | Baltimore, MD | $705 | — | ★ 3/5 | 246 min | 14.4% |
| University of Maryland Medical Center | Baltimore, MD | $726 | — | ★ 3/5 | 330 min | 14.3% |
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 $661 — about 3.4× the Medicare rate ($192). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($383).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $674 list price could save about $13 (2%).
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 Baltimore
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sudhir Kathuria, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 703 |
| Jeffrey Yang, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 692 |
| Jessica Record, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 656 |
| Puneet Devgun, DO | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 646 |
| Ovsev Uzuner | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 576 |
| Peter Vandermeer, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 569 |
| Syed Ashruf, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 431 |
| Robert Stroud, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 428 |
| Joseph Lurito, MD PHD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 415 |
| Omid Yeganeh, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 413 |
| Marcin Czarniecki, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 407 |
| Randy Becker, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Baltimore, MD | 384 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Maryland → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Baltimore