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 ($1,939), roughly 14.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL $430 ★ 2/5 142 min 15.4%
Saint Anthony Hospital Chicago, IL $651 $976 ★ 2/5 191 min 16.5%
Touchette Regional Hospital Inc Centreville, IL $851 $1,304 126 min
Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 1/5 204 min 15.6%
Presence St Marys Hospital Kankakee, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 4/5 146 min 14.0%
Presence Mercy Medical Center Aurora, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 3/5 194 min 14.4%
Presence Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center Chicago, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 3/5 189 min 14.2%
Saint Joseph Hospital-Elgin Elgin, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 4/5 145 min 14.3%
Presence Saint Joseph Hospital-Chicago Chicago, IL $1,181 $277 ★ 4/5 137 min 14.9%
St Bernard Hospital Chicago, IL $1,203 ★ 1/5 232 min 15.8%
Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center Oak Lawn, IL $1,210 $1,276 ★ 3/5 252 min 15.8%
Mc Donough District Hospital Macomb, IL $1,316 $303 ★ 3/5 152 min 15.1%
Riverside Medical Center Kankakee, IL $1,318 $331 ★ 4/5 168 min 15.0%
Morrison Community Hospital Morrison, IL $1,323 $1,135 119 min 15.1%
Alton Memorial Hospital Alton, IL $1,423 $1,024 ★ 4/5 194 min 15.1%
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital Barrington, IL $1,425 $1,276 ★ 5/5 194 min 15.0%
Louis a Weiss Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL $1,425 $254 ★ 1/5 212 min 16.1%
Montrose Behavioral Health Hospital Chicago, IL $1,425 $254
Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Downers Grove, IL $1,505 $1,296 ★ 4/5 189 min 14.9%
West Suburban Medical Center Oak Park, IL $1,598 $264 ★ 1/5 271 min 16.0%
Advocate Trinity Hospital Chicago, IL $1,650 $1,371 ★ 2/5 244 min 16.0%
Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Park Ridge, IL $1,700 $1,413 ★ 4/5 220 min 14.1%
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Chicago, IL $1,738 $1,367 ★ 3/5 236 min 16.2%
Community Hospital of Staunton Staunton, IL $1,759 $2,638 14.8%
Advocate Condell Medical Center Libertyville, IL $1,765 $1,467 ★ 4/5 216 min 14.8%

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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$4,002
Cash / self-pay
$2,730
Insurer-negotiated
$1,238
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%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

By city

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 →