Lower back MRI cost in Hawaii
In Hawaii, 11 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $1,043.90 to $6,406.40, with a median of $1,531.60. The lowest price is at Kona Community Hospital (Kealakekua). The highest price is 6.1× the lowest.
- The median here, $1,531.60, is 20% below the US median of $1,902.72.
- That is 6.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($243.77).
- Hawaii ranks 15th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 1 of 11 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 72148. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 4, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$1,043.90Kona Community Hospital
Median$1,531.60half of hospitals charge less
Highest$6,406.40in Hawaii
Lowest saves$487.70vs the median
Hospitals in Hawaii, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kona Community Hospital lowest Kealakekua · Hilo-Kailua, HI LUMBAR SPINE MRI WO CONTR | $1,043.90 | $1,606.00 | Jul 28, 2025 source file |
| Wilcox Memorial Hospital Lihue · Kapaa, HI MR SPINE (LUMBAR) WITHOUT CONTRAST-TECH | $1,240.20 | $2,067.00 | Feb 12, 2026 source file |
| Straub Clinic & Hospital Honolulu · Urban Honolulu, HI MR SPINE (LUMBAR) WITHOUT CONTRAST-TECH | $1,494.60 | $2,491.00 | Feb 12, 2026 source file |
| Pali Momi Medical Center Aiea · Urban Honolulu, HI MR SPINE (LUMBAR) WITHOUT CONTRAST-TECH | $1,510.20 | $2,517.00 | Feb 12, 2026 source file |
| Queens Medical Center - West Oahu Ewa Beach · Urban Honolulu, HI MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,531.60 | $2,188.00 | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| Queens North Hawaii Community Hospital Waimea · Hilo-Kailua, HI MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,531.60 | $2,188.00 | Mar 9, 2026 source file |
| The Queens Medical Center Honolulu · Urban Honolulu, HI MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,531.60 | $2,188.00 | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| The Queens Medical Center - Wahiawa Wahiawa · Urban Honolulu, HI MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,531.60 | $2,188.00 | Mar 9, 2026 source file |
| Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children Honolulu · Urban Honolulu, HI MR SPINE (LUMBAR) WITHOUT CONTRAST-TECH | $1,630.80 | $2,718.00 | Feb 12, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Moanalua Honolulu · Urban Honolulu, HI MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,747.50 | $2,330.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Honolulu Honolulu · Urban Honolulu, HI MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $6,406.40 | $6,406.40 | Mar 19, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 8 | $1,494.60 | $1,531.60 |
| Hilo-Kailua, HI | 2 | $1,043.90 | $1,287.75 |
| Kapaa, HI | 1 | $1,240.20 | $1,240.20 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What lower back MRI is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lower back MRI explained.
MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in other states
- Alabama$1,596.76
- Alaska$3,437.78
- Arizona$1,752.45
- Arkansas$891.78
- California$3,060.69
- Colorado$2,164.66
- Connecticut$1,437.00
- Delaware$2,452.48
- District of Columbia$2,013.00, 3 hospitals
- Florida$3,699.50
- Georgia$1,713.00
- Idaho$1,557.45
- Illinois$2,881.44
- Indiana$1,016.72
- Iowa$2,371.13
- Kansas$1,240.13
- Kentucky$1,725.03
- Louisiana$1,032.62
- Maine$1,419.25
- Maryland$495.14
- Massachusetts$1,805.25
- Michigan$1,806.88
- Minnesota$2,036.24
- Mississippi$1,302.62
- Missouri$1,861.45
- Montana$1,753.00
- Nebraska$3,216.00
- Nevada$2,308.53
- New Hampshire$2,455.25
- New Jersey$591.91
- New Mexico$2,038.78
- New York$1,307.22
- North Carolina$2,227.59
- North Dakota$1,934.90
- Ohio$1,666.80
- Oklahoma$1,264.00
- Oregon$1,870.75
- Pennsylvania$1,790.00
- Puerto Rico$725.00
- Rhode Island$2,250.00
- South Carolina$2,193.60
- South Dakota$3,269.60
- Tennessee$984.54
- Texas$2,190.02
- Utah$4,273.11
- Vermont$3,576.90
- Virginia$2,000.00
- Washington$2,100.33
- West Virginia$1,350.75
- Wisconsin$2,210.00
- Wyoming$2,274.75
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.