MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Arkansas

Prices at 39 hospitals in Arkansas, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $950 — 57% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 3.5× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Arkansas Surgical Hospital No Little Rock, AR $354 $328 — 150 min —
Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center Llc Hope, AR $574 $1,435 — 76 min —
Southwest Regional Medical Center Llc Hope, AR $574 $1,435 — — —
Baptist Health Medical Center North Little Rock North Little Rock, AR $584 $412 ★ 1/5 186 min —
Baptist Health Medical Center-Drew County Monticello, AR $584 $407 ★ 2/5 122 min —
Baptist Health-Fort Smith Fort Smith, AR $584 $374 ★ 2/5 124 min —
Baptist Health Medical Center-Stuttgart Stuttgart, AR $584 $407 ★ 3/5 106 min —
Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Springs County Malvern, AR $584 $374 — 100 min —
Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock Little Rock, AR $584 $412 ★ 3/5 140 min —
Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway Conway, AR $584 $412 ★ 2/5 145 min —
University of Arkansas Medical Sciences Little Rock, AR $634 $329 ★ 2/5 285 min —
Arkansas State Hospital Little Rock, AR $634 $329 — — —
Howard Memorial Hospital Nashville, AR $640 $1,600 ★ 3/5 109 min —
Baptist Health Medical Center Heber Springs Heber Springs, AR $777 $532 ★ 3/5 110 min —
Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia Arkadelphia, AR $821 $503 — 94 min —
Lawrence Memorial Hospital Walnut Ridge, AR $851 $180 — 90 min —
Unity Health-Jacksonville Jacksonville, AR $852 — — 130 min —
Unity Health-Newport Newport, AR $852 — — 103 min —
Conway Regional Medical Center, Inc Conway, AR $950 $367 ★ 2/5 178 min —
St Vincent Medical Center/north Sherwood, AR $1,164 $584 ★ 4/5 128 min —
CHI-St Vincent Infirmary Little Rock, AR $1,175 $518 ★ 3/5 173 min —
Baxter Health Mountain Home, AR $1,212 $422 ★ 2/5 184 min —
CHI St Vincent Morrilton Morrilton, AR $1,243 $1,312 — 98 min —
Washington Regional Medical Center Fayetteville, AR $1,304 $362 ★ 4/5 222 min —
Dardanelle Regional Medical Center Dardanelle, AR $1,425 $502 — 74 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$3,092
Cash / self-pay
$950
Insurer-negotiated
$422
Medicare pays
$270
$584$3,123
Median cash $950  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $950 — about 3.5× the Medicare rate ($270). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,092 list price could save about $2,142 (69%).

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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) cost in other states

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Arkansas →