Prices at 4 hospitals in Long Beach, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,643 — 140% above the US median ($1,936), roughly 24.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $1,013 | $304 | ★ 3/5 | 322 min | — |
| St Mary Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $1,653 | $400 | ★ 5/5 | 150 min | — |
| VA Long Beach Healthcare System | Long Beach, CA | $7,633 | $543 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| Memorialcare Long Beach Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $7,633 | $543 | ★ 2/5 | 284 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 $4,643 — about 24.2× 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 $5,739 list price could save about $1,096 (19%).
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 Long Beach
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Chai, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Long Beach, CA | 310 |
| Peter Kurzweil, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | Long Beach, CA | 217 |
| Dianna Chooljian, MD PHD MPH | Diagnostic Radiology | Long Beach, CA | 134 |
| Robert Lindsey, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Long Beach, CA | 104 |
| Daniel Gianella, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Long Beach, CA | 86 |
| Charlton Byun, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Long Beach, CA | 81 |
| Dong Kim, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Long Beach, CA | 53 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in California → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Long Beach