MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in Illinois

Prices at 92 hospitals in Illinois, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,730 — 41% above the US median ($1,936), roughly 14.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL $430 — ★ 2/5 140 min —
Saint Anthony Hospital Chicago, IL $651 $976 ★ 2/5 181 min —
Touchette Regional Hospital Inc Centreville, IL $851 $1,304 — 126 min —
Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 1/5 197 min —
Presence St Marys Hospital Kankakee, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 4/5 137 min —
Presence Mercy Medical Center Aurora, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 3/5 189 min —
Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Chicago, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 3/5 192 min —
Saint Joseph Hospital-Elgin Elgin, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 4/5 139 min —
Presence Saint Joseph Hospital-Chicago Chicago, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 4/5 146 min —
St Bernard Hospital Chicago, IL $1,203 — ★ 1/5 231 min —
Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center Oak Lawn, IL $1,210 $1,276 ★ 3/5 229 min —
Mc Donough District Hospital Macomb, IL $1,316 $303 ★ 3/5 145 min —
Riverside Medical Center Kankakee, IL $1,318 $331 ★ 4/5 167 min —
Morrison Community Hospital Morrison, IL $1,323 $1,135 — 124 min —
Alton Memorial Hospital Alton, IL $1,423 $1,024 ★ 4/5 196 min —
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Barrington, IL $1,425 $1,276 ★ 5/5 194 min —
Louis a Weiss Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL $1,425 $254 ★ 1/5 210 min —
Montrose Behavioral Health Hospital Chicago, IL $1,425 $254 — — —
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove, IL $1,505 $1,296 ★ 4/5 187 min —
West Suburban Medical Center Oak Park, IL $1,598 $264 ★ 1/5 272 min —
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago, IL $1,650 $1,371 ★ 2/5 247 min —
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Park Ridge, IL $1,700 $1,413 ★ 4/5 216 min —
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago, IL $1,738 $1,367 ★ 3/5 237 min —
Community Hospital of Staunton Staunton, IL $1,759 $2,638 — — —
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville, IL $1,765 $1,467 ★ 4/5 214 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)
$4,002
Cash / self-pay
$2,730
Insurer-negotiated
$1,243
Medicare pays
$192
$1,181$5,490
Median cash $2,730  ·  Medicare $192  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,730 — about 14.2× 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 $4,002 list price could save about $1,272 (32%).

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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 lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in other states

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Illinois →