Prices at 6 hospitals in Cleveland, OH, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,602 — 28% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 5.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Hospital | Cleveland, OH | $1,602 | $724 | ★ 5/5 | 242 min | — |
| Lutheran Hospital | Cleveland, OH | $1,602 | $788 | ★ 3/5 | 146 min | — |
| Cleveland Clinic | Cleveland, OH | $1,602 | $386 | ★ 4/5 | 189 min | — |
| Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehab | Cleveland, OH | $1,602 | $386 | — | — | — |
| Uh Cleveland Medical Center | Cleveland, OH | $2,617 | $1,870 | ★ 3/5 | 241 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)
Typical cash price here is $1,602 — about 5.9× 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 $2,464 list price could save about $862 (35%).
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 Cleveland
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Hill, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 41 |
| Michael Coffey, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 35 |
| Joseph Curcio | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 32 |
| Christopher Karakasis, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 30 |
| Jonathan Lee, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 29 |
| Douglas Martin, MD, PHD | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 28 |
| Rajiv Shah, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 27 |
| Chaitra Badve, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 18 |
| Anthony Alioto, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Cleveland, OH | 14 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices in Ohio → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Cleveland