Prices at 4 hospitals in Denver, CO, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $6,084 — 218% above the US median ($1,913), roughly 32.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health & Hospital Authority | Denver, CO | $990 | $903 | ★ 3/5 | 208 min | — |
| National Jewish Health | Denver, CO | $1,385 | $800 | — | — | — |
| HCA Healthone Rose | Denver, CO | $10,783 | $518 | ★ 4/5 | 130 min | — |
| HCA Healthone Presbyterian St Luke's | Denver, CO | $13,494 | $518 | ★ 2/5 | 121 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 $6,084 — about 32.0× the Medicare rate ($190). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($381).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $6,806 list price could save about $722 (11%).
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) without contrast prices in Colorado → · All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Denver