MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast cost in Austin, TX

Prices at 10 hospitals in Austin, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,127 — 53% above the US median ($2,696), roughly 13.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin Austin, TX $2,556 $361 ★ 3/5 186 min 14.3%
Dell Seton Med Center at the University of Tx Austin, TX $2,556 $361 ★ 4/5 233 min 14.9%
Ascension Seton Southwest Austin, TX $2,556 $361 — 134 min 14.8%
Ascension Seton Northwest Austin, TX $2,556 $361 ★ 4/5 159 min 14.4%
Dell Children's Medical Center Austin, TX $4,127 $361 — — —
Texas Childrens Hospital North Austin Campus Austin, TX $4,685 $4,405 — — —
North Austin Medical Center Austin, TX $5,994 $828 ★ 3/5 156 min 14.4%
St David's Medical Center Austin, TX $6,941 $563 ★ 4/5 161 min 15.0%
St David's South Austin Medical Center Austin, TX $6,941 $563 ★ 3/5 149 min 15.2%

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 June 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)
$6,992
Cash / self-pay
$4,127
Insurer-negotiated
$361
Medicare pays
$319
$2,556$6,941
Median cash $4,127  ·  Medicare $319  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $4,127 — about 13.0× the Medicare rate ($319). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($637).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $6,992 list price could save about $2,865 (41%).

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.

All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices in Texas → · All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Austin