MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in New York

Prices at 89 hospitals in New York, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,489 — 33% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 5.5× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Maimonides Medical Center Brooklyn, NY $235 ★ 2/5 208 min
Bassett Healthcare Cooperstown, NY $263 $159 ★ 2/5 199 min
St Peter's Hospital Albany, NY $282 $236 ★ 2/5 341 min
Samaritan Hospital of Troy, New York Troy, NY $282 $236 ★ 3/5 228 min
Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY $300 $209 ★ 3/5 203 min
Kenmore Mercy Hospital Kenmore, NY $300 $201 ★ 3/5 236 min
Mount St. Mary's Hospital & Health Center Lewiston, NY $300 $200 ★ 2/5 156 min
St Joseph's Medical Center Yonkers, NY $361 $505 ★ 1/5 201 min
Geneva General Hospital Geneva, NY $447 $209 ★ 2/5 190 min
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital of Yates Penn Yan, NY $447 $492 113 min
O'connor Hospital Delhi, NY $531 $831 95 min
Little Falls Hospital Little Falls, NY $531 $505 ★ 2/5 109 min
Cobleskill Regional Hospital Cobleskill, NY $531 $523 ★ 4/5 111 min
Unity Hospital Rochester, NY $590 $191 ★ 2/5 299 min
Unity Specialty Hospital Rochester, NY $590 $191
United Memorial Medical Center Batavia, NY $650 $214 ★ 2/5 167 min
Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Springville, NY $652 $303 145 min
St Anthony Community Hospital Warwick, NY $655 $2,401 ★ 4/5 162 min
UPMC Chautauqua at Wca Jamestown, NY $736 $739 ★ 2/5 171 min
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Niagara Falls, NY $779 $335 ★ 1/5 229 min
Westfield Memorial Hospital, Inc Westfield, NY $882 $297 120 min
Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY $885 $209 ★ 2/5 233 min
Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY $967 $198 ★ 2/5 307 min
Bronxcare Hospital Center Bronx, NY $978 $445 ★ 1/5 186 min
Crouse Hospital Syracuse, NY $1,050 $457 ★ 2/5 220 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 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$2,443
Cash / self-pay
$1,489
Insurer-negotiated
$505
Medicare pays
$270
$300$5,936
Median cash $1,489  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,489 — about 5.5× 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 $2,443 list price could save about $954 (39%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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 New York →