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

Prices at 91 hospitals in New York, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,014 — 54% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 3.8× 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 —
Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center Bronx, NY $423 $615 ★ 2/5 234 min —
Jacobi Medical Center Bronx, NY $423 $681 ★ 2/5 220 min —
Elmhurst Hospital Center Elmhurst, NY $423 $615 ★ 2/5 278 min —
Bronx VA Medical Center Bronx, NY $423 $653 ★ 4/5 — —
South Brooklyn Health Brooklyn, NY $423 $615 ★ 2/5 160 min —
Metropolitan Hospital Center New York, NY $423 $615 ★ 3/5 171 min —
Kings County Hospital Center Brooklyn, NY $423 $651 ★ 1/5 261 min —
Bellevue Hospital Center New York, NY $423 $644 ★ 2/5 181 min —
Queens Hospital Center Jamaica, NY $423 $646 ★ 2/5 245 min —
Harlem Hospital Center New York, NY $423 $615 ★ 2/5 144 min —
Woodhull Medical & Mental Health Center Brooklyn, NY $423 $644 ★ 2/5 198 min —
Geneva General Hospital Geneva, NY $447 $209 ★ 2/5 190 min —
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital of Yates Penn Yan, NY $447 $458 — 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 —

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)
$2,212
Cash / self-pay
$1,014
Insurer-negotiated
$505
Medicare pays
$270
$355$4,615
Median cash $1,014  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,014 — about 3.8× 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 $2,212 list price could save about $1,198 (54%).

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 →