MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in Washington DC

Prices at 3 hospitals in Washington DC, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,152 — 11% above the US median ($1,939), roughly 11.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital Washington, DC $1,796 $870 ★ 3/5 371 min 14.7%
Howard University Hospital Corp Washington, DC $2,152 $965 ★ 1/5 232 min 14.9%
Medstar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC $2,397 $1,096 ★ 3/5 400 min 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 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)
$2,763
Cash / self-pay
$2,152
Insurer-negotiated
$965
Medicare pays
$192
$1,867$2,348
Median cash $2,152  ·  Medicare $192  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,152 — about 11.2× 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 $2,763 list price could save about $610 (22%).

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

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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 Washington DC →