Prices at 3 hospitals in Charleston, SC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,234 — 67% above the US median ($1,936), roughly 16.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier Hospital | Charleston, SC | $3,234 | — | ★ 3/5 | 153 min | — |
| Roper Hospital | Charleston, SC | $3,234 | — | ★ 4/5 | 96 min | — |
| Trident Medical Center | Charleston, SC | $7,358 | $470 | ★ 3/5 | 126 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)
Typical cash price here is $3,234 — about 16.9× the Medicare rate ($192). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($383).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,976 list price could save about $1,742 (35%).
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 Charleston
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Barnes, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 420 |
| Andrew Anderson, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 386 |
| William Crymes, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 358 |
| Stephen Bagg, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 317 |
| John Rand, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 313 |
| Charlotte Wallace, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 304 |
| John Hungerford, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 228 |
| Lee Hewett, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 221 |
| William Woodard, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 139 |
| Edward Tavel, M.D. | Anesthesiology | Charleston, SC | 110 |
| Luis Ramos-Duran, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 84 |
| Maria Spampinato, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Charleston, SC | 70 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in South Carolina → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Charleston