Prices at 10 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $5,750 — 114% above the US median ($2,688), roughly 18.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center | Houston, TX | $2,348 | — | ★ 4/5 | 252 min | — |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | Houston, TX | $2,348 | — | ★ 3/5 | 243 min | — |
| St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage | Houston, TX | $2,984 | $1,110 | ★ 4/5 | 209 min | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest | Houston, TX | $5,750 | $828 | ★ 2/5 | 147 min | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare West | Houston, TX | $5,750 | $828 | ★ 1/5 | 104 min | — |
| Healthbridge Childrens's Hospital of Houston | Houston, TX | $5,750 | $828 | — | — | — |
| St Joseph Medical Center | Houston, TX | $12,986 | $494 | ★ 3/5 | 180 min | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center | Houston, TX | $20,489 | $828 | ★ 4/5 | 75 min | — |
| Texas Orthopedic Hospital | Houston, TX | $23,583 | $828 | — | 105 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)
Typical cash price here is $5,750 — about 18.0× 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 $7,336 list price could save about $1,586 (22%).
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 Houston
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.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilal Mujtaba, M.D | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 218 |
| Colleen Costelloe, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 186 |
| John Madewell, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 180 |
| Tamara Haygood, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 168 |
| Sam Lo, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 156 |
| Behrang Amini, MD/PHD | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 111 |
| Fehime Ucisik, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 68 |
| Christie Lincoln, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 65 |
| Susana Calle, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 64 |
| Shekhar Khanpara, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 55 |
| Jeanie Choi, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 51 |
| Raul Valenzuela Perez, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Houston, TX | 50 |
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 Houston