MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Washington

Prices at 38 hospitals in Washington, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,201 — about the US median ($2,210), roughly 8.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Harrison Medical Center Silverdale, WA $779 $326 ★ 4/5 205 min
Astria Toppenish Hospital Toppenish, WA $938 $402 150 min
Valley Medical Center Renton, WA $1,162 $1,063 ★ 2/5 199 min
Prosser Memorial Hospital Prosser, WA $1,201 $239 ★ 3/5 112 min
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Vancouver, WA $1,336 ★ 4/5 260 min
Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA $1,508 $401 ★ 5/5 206 min
Multicare Auburn Medical Center Auburn, WA $1,691 $815 ★ 2/5 217 min
Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital Puyallup, WA $1,691 $815 ★ 2/5 133 min
Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital Tacoma, WA $1,691 $815 ★ 2/5 208 min
Multicare Covington Medical Center Covington, WA $1,691 $815 ★ 3/5 177 min
Astria Sunnyside Hospital Sunnyside, WA $1,734 $979 ★ 2/5 122 min
St Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA $2,004 $777 ★ 4/5 161 min
Peacehealth United General Medical Center Sedro Woolley, WA $2,080 ★ 3/5 142 min
St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor, WA $2,115 $777 ★ 5/5 200 min
Willapa Harbor Hospital South Bend, WA $2,131 130 min
Peacehealth Peace Island Medical Center Friday Harbor, WA $2,156 101 min
Confluence Health Hospital Wenatchee, WA $2,171 $2,155 ★ 3/5 143 min
St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA $2,182 $763 ★ 4/5 202 min
Cascade Medical Center Leavenworth, WA $2,201 $584
Peacehealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver, WA $2,211 $402 ★ 3/5 275 min
Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA $2,240 $612
St Joseph Hospital Bellingham, WA $2,303 $435 ★ 4/5 210 min
St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA $2,303 $801 ★ 3/5 211 min
Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Tacoma, WA $2,392 $1,906
Olympic Medical Center Port Angeles, WA $2,392 $2,264 ★ 3/5 251 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)
$3,543
Cash / self-pay
$2,201
Insurer-negotiated
$770
Medicare pays
$270
$1,282$3,246
Median cash $2,201  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,201 — about 8.2× 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 $3,543 list price could save about $1,342 (38%).

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 Washington →