Prices at 3 hospitals in Mesa, AZ, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $459 — 76% below the US median ($1,939), roughly 2.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banner Baywood Medical Center | Mesa, AZ | $305 | $381 | ★ 2/5 | 266 min | 13.9% |
| Banner Desert Medical Center | Mesa, AZ | $459 | $349 | ★ 2/5 | 269 min | 15.1% |
| Banner Heart Hospital | Mesa, AZ | $640 | $361 | ★ 2/5 | — | 14.4% |
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 July 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 $459 — about 2.4× 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 $2,417 list price could save about $1,958 (81%).
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 Mesa
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saeed Fakhran, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 406 |
| Marvin Tam, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 184 |
| Penny Bowen, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 173 |
| Angela Fried, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 149 |
| Andrew Pohl, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 116 |
| Mark Hoffman, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 115 |
| Joseph Wagner, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 106 |
| Robert Crowder, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 76 |
| Mari Schenk, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Mesa, AZ | 32 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Arizona → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Mesa