Prices at 6 hospitals in Milwaukee, WI, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,650 — 20% above the US median ($2,210), roughly 9.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Se Wisconsin Hospital | Milwaukee, WI | $1,387 | $487 | ★ 5/5 | 124 min | — |
| Aurora St Lukes Medical Center | Milwaukee, WI | $2,210 | $1,352 | ★ 4/5 | 172 min | — |
| Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $2,650 | $372 | ★ 3/5 | 167 min | — |
| Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI | $2,784 | $4,302 | — | — | — |
| Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital | Milwaukee, WI | $2,902 | $2,526 | ★ 3/5 | 275 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 $2,650 — about 9.8× 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 $5,000 list price could save about $2,350 (47%).
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 Milwaukee
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Jellison, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Milwaukee, WI | 71 |
| Sonia Gill, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Milwaukee, WI | 48 |
| Zacharias Zitterkopf, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Milwaukee, WI | 38 |
| Sumant Tumuluru, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Milwaukee, WI | 34 |
| Sean Amoli, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Milwaukee, WI | 18 |
| Shweta Nelluri, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Milwaukee, WI | 14 |
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices in Wisconsin → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Milwaukee