MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Phoenix, AZ

Prices at 4 hospitals in Phoenix, AZ, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,904 — 14% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 7.1× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Banner Estrella Medical Center Phoenix, AZ $387 $487 ★ 3/5 243 min 13.9%
Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix, AZ $435 $381 ★ 3/5 265 min 14.9%
Mayo Clinic Hospital Phoenix, AZ $3,372 ★ 5/5 199 min 14.1%
Honorhealth Tempe Medical Center Phoenix, AZ $5,840 $481 163 min 15.0%

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 July 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)
$3,406
Cash / self-pay
$1,904
Insurer-negotiated
$481
Medicare pays
$270
$401$5,100
Median cash $1,904  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,904 — about 7.1× 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 $3,406 list price could save about $1,502 (44%).

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.

Doctors who perform this in Phoenix

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.

ClinicianSpecialtyLocationMedicare services
Armon Nikravan, MDDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ91
Benjamin Weigman, MDDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ84
Lea Alhilali, MDDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ81
Kevin SeltingDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ54
Alicia Chen, M.D.Diagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ53
Bryant Brown, MDDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ50
Dylan HoytDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ49
Jeremy Hughes, MDDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ39
Dor Shoshan, MDDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ32
Austin SvecDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ22
Brandon Welbourn, MDDiagnostic RadiologyPhoenix, AZ16

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All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices in Arizona → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Phoenix