Prices at 4 hospitals in Knoxville, TN, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $790 — 64% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 2.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parkwest Medical Center | Knoxville, TN | $705 | $454 | ★ 3/5 | 259 min | — |
| Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center | Knoxville, TN | $729 | $342 | ★ 3/5 | 234 min | — |
| University Health System, Inc | Knoxville, TN | $851 | $1,322 | ★ 4/5 | 249 min | — |
| East Tennessee Childrens Hospital | Knoxville, TN | $851 | $1,322 | — | — | — |
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 September 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 $790 — about 2.9× the Medicare rate ($270). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,877 list price could save about $2,087 (73%).
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 Knoxville
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Noe, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Knoxville, TN | 58 |
| Daniel Hoss, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Knoxville, TN | 34 |
| Harry Hixson, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Knoxville, TN | 23 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices in Tennessee → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Knoxville