Prices at 8 hospitals in New York, NY, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,524 — 82% above the US median ($1,939), roughly 18.4× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYU Langone Hospitals | New York, NY | $1,134 | $483 | ★ 5/5 | 206 min | 13.1% |
| Mount Sinai Hospital | New York, NY | $3,524 | — | ★ 4/5 | 240 min | 14.6% |
| Mount Sinai West | New York, NY | $3,524 | $425 | ★ 4/5 | 278 min | 14.3% |
| Ny Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai | New York, NY | $3,524 | $425 | — | — | — |
| Mount Sinai Beth Israel | New York, NY | $3,524 | $425 | ★ 3/5 | 227 min | 16.4% |
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 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)
Typical cash price here is $3,524 — about 18.4× 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 $3,915 list price could save about $392 (10%).
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 New York
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Melnick, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 2,145 |
| Joseph Chazen, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 716 |
| Annette Nusbaum, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 708 |
| Alissa Aboff, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 546 |
| Adam Wilner, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 414 |
| John Carrino, M.D., M.P.H. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 388 |
| Stephen Greenberg, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 385 |
| David Chen, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 383 |
| William Louie, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 371 |
| Paul Choi, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 347 |
| John Duncan, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 329 |
| Gregory Ngo, DO | Diagnostic Radiology | New York, NY | 324 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in New York → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in New York