Prices at 4 hospitals in Tacoma, WA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,259 — 17% above the US median ($1,939), roughly 11.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital | Tacoma, WA | $1,597 | $815 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | 15.1% |
| Mary Bridge Children's Hospital | Tacoma, WA | $2,259 | $1,328 | — | — | — |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Tacoma, WA | $2,265 | $558 | ★ 3/5 | 212 min | 14.2% |
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 $2,259 — about 11.8× 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 $5,648 list price could save about $3,389 (60%).
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 Tacoma
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Park, DO | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 393 |
| Aaron Zima, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 185 |
| Brian Boldt, D.O. | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 182 |
| Justin Waters, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 145 |
| Scott Walker, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 142 |
| Jeremy Cardinal, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 127 |
| Michael Wells, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 120 |
| Lon Hayne, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 109 |
| Jonathan Kell, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 101 |
| Joon Song, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 95 |
| Erik Dedekam, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 90 |
| Joseph Sam, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Tacoma, WA | 86 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Washington → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Tacoma