Lower back MRI cost in New York

In New York, 111 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $243.77 to $7,030.00, with a median of $1,307.22. The lowest price is at St Joseph's Hospital, Yonkers (Yonkers). The highest price is 28.8× the lowest.

• The median here, $1,307.22, is 31% below the US median of $1,902.72.
• That is 5.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($243.77).
• New York ranks 11th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
• 27 of 111 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

New York law (Public Health Law §2807-k(9-a), as amended in October 2024): uninsured patients with income below 200% of the federal poverty level owe nothing for emergency and medically necessary hospital care; up to 400% they pay on a sliding scale of at most 10% or 20% of what Medicaid would pay. Emergency care is covered for New York residents, other care for people living in the hospital's service area; immigration status does not count. Ask for the Uniform Hospital Financial Assistance form. Other states' laws.

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 8, 2026. See them on a map