Lower back MRI cost in Washington
In Washington, 58 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $408.85 to $5,958.50, with a median of $2,100.33. The lowest price is at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center (Vancouver). The highest price is 14.6× the lowest.
- The median here, $2,100.33, is 10% above the US median of $1,902.72.
- That is 8.6× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($243.77).
- Washington ranks 32nd of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 5 of 58 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Washington law (RCW 70.170.060) requires hospital charity care: patients with family income up to 300% of the federal poverty level owe nothing at hospitals in large health systems (200% at other hospitals), with 75% and 50% discounts up to 400% (300% at other hospitals). It covers the part of the bill a patient owes, insured or not. Ask the hospital for its charity care application. 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 6, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$408.85Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center
Median$2,100.33half of hospitals charge less
Highest$5,958.50in Washington
Lowest saves$1,691.48vs the median
Hospitals in Washington, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center lowest Vancouver · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA HC MR CINE MOTION LUMBAR | $408.85 | $629.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $518.88 | $1,081.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $518.88 | $1,081.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $518.88 | $1,081.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lake Chelan Community Hospital Chelan · Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $655.59 | $655.59 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Holy Family Hospital Spokane · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $758.10 | $1,083.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Prov Sacred Hrt Medical Center & Childs Hospital Spokane · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $924.70 | $1,321.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Astria Toppenish Hospital Toppenish · Yakima, WA MRI Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast | $937.95 | $1,443.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Hc Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Con | $979.00 | $1,958.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Valley Medical Center Renton · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $1,019.90 | $1,457.00 | Mar 12, 2026 source file |
| Lourdes Health Pasco · Kennewick-Richland, WA MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,051.42 | $2,628.56 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia · Centralia, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,083.68 | $2,084.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Peter Hospital Olympia · Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,083.68 | $2,084.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MRI LUMBAR SPINE | $1,098.03 | $2,153.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast - Haste | $1,125.20 | $1,125.20 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,139.32 | $2,191.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Colville · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $1,183.70 | $1,691.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Samaritan Hospital Moses Lake · Moses Lake, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $1,434.00 | $1,434.00 | Jan 4, 2026 source file |
| Arbor Health Morton Hospital Morton · Centralia, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $1,466.92 | $2,366.00 | May 18, 2026 source file |
| Astria Sunnyside Hospital Sunnyside · Kennewick-Richland, WA MRI Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast | $1,733.94 | $3,042.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Summit Pacific Medical Center Elma · Aberdeen, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $1,785.24 | $3,306.00 | Aug 31, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Medical Center Leavenworth · Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA MRI Spnl & Cntnts Lmbr w/out | $1,907.20 | $2,384.00 | May 15, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth United General Medical Center Sedro Woolley · Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,956.50 | $3,010.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $1,971.40 | $6,839.41 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Olympic Medical Center Port Angeles · Port Angeles, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $2,012.80 | $2,516.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Whitman Hospital and Medical Center Colfax · Pullman, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $2,059.20 | $2,574.00 | Jun 29, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA "MAGNET RESONAN (EG,PROTON) LMBR,TECH I" | $2,080.00 | $2,600.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,080.20 | $6,839.41 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Highline Medical Center Burien · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,088.46 | $6,839.41 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Othello Community Hospital Othello · Othello, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $2,112.19 | $2,816.25 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver · Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $2,114.45 | $3,253.00 | Mar 20, 2026 source file |
| Willapa Harbor Hospital South Bend · South Bend, WA MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $2,130.80 | $3,044.00 | Feb 24, 2026 source file |
| Prosser Memorial Health Hospital Prosser · Kennewick-Richland, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $2,136.75 | $3,885.00 | Jan 1, 2025 source file |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,146.37 | $6,839.41 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth Peace Island Medical Center Friday Harbor · Friday Harbor, WA MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $2,156.05 | $3,317.00 | Mar 20, 2026 source file |
| Confluence Health Hospital Wenatchee · Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA HC MRI Spine Lumbar W/O Contrast | $2,170.80 | $2,412.00 | Aug 10, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $2,201.50 | $3,145.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,265.20 | $6,839.41 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth St Joseph Medical Center Bellingham · Bellingham, WA MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $2,302.95 | $3,543.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Ocean Beach Hospital Ilwaco · Ilwaco, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $2,335.50 | $3,114.00 | Oct 23, 2026 source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,360.00 | $2,950.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Pullman Regional Hospital Pullman · Pullman, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $2,363.00 | $2,780.00 | Jun 9, 2026 source file |
| Jefferson Healthcare Port Townsend · Port Townsend, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $2,368.00 | $2,960.00 | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| St Elizabeth Hospital Enumclaw · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,416.81 | $6,839.41 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Quincy Valley Medical Center Quincy · Moses Lake, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $2,449.23 | $2,449.23 | May 27, 2026 source file |
| Kadlec Regional Medical Center Richland · Kennewick-Richland, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $2,494.80 | $3,564.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| PeaceHealth St John Medical Center Longview · Longview-Kelso, WA MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $2,523.30 | $3,882.00 | Mar 21, 2026 source file |
| Klickitat Valley Hospital Goldendale · Goldendale, WA MR Lumbar Spine wo Contrast | $2,544.00 | $3,180.00 | Dec 2, 2024 source file |
| Ferry County Memorial Hospital Republic · Republic, WA MRI L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,626.56 | $3,090.07 | Sep 14, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Mary Medical Center Walla Walla · Walla Walla, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $2,705.50 | $3,865.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Skagit Valley Hospital Mount Vernon · Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA HC LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,967.20 | $3,709.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| St. Michael Medical Center Silverdale · Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $3,018.56 | $6,839.41 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Forks Community Hospital Forks · Port Townsend, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $3,079.20 | $3,849.00 | Oct 27, 2026 source file |
| Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Snoqualmie · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Facility Fee HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $3,160.80 | $5,449.66 | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics Shelton · Shelton, WA MRI Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast | $3,179.03 | $4,238.70 | Mar 10, 2026 source file |
| Kittitas County Public Hospital Dist 1 Ellensburg · Ellensburg, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $3,289.50 | $3,870.00 | Oct 7, 2026 source file |
| Lincoln Hospital Davenport · Davenport, WA MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $3,870.58 | $4,300.64 | Sep 14, 2026 source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Spokane Spokane · Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $5,958.50 | $5,958.50 | Mar 18, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 17 | $518.88 | $1,971.40 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 5 | $758.10 | $1,183.70 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 4 | $1,051.42 | $1,935.34 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 3 | $655.59 | $1,907.20 |
| Centralia, WA | 2 | $1,083.68 | $1,275.30 |
| Moses Lake, WA | 2 | $1,434.00 | $1,941.62 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 2 | $1,956.50 | $2,461.85 |
| Port Townsend, WA | 2 | $2,368.00 | $2,723.60 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2 | $408.85 | $1,261.65 |
| Pullman, WA | 2 | $2,059.20 | $2,211.10 |
| Aberdeen, WA | 1 | $1,785.24 | $1,785.24 |
| Bellingham, WA | 1 | $2,302.95 | $2,302.95 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 1 | $3,018.56 | $3,018.56 |
| Davenport, WA | 1 | $3,870.58 | $3,870.58 |
| Ellensburg, WA | 1 | $3,289.50 | $3,289.50 |
| Friday Harbor, WA | 1 | $2,156.05 | $2,156.05 |
| Goldendale, WA | 1 | $2,544.00 | $2,544.00 |
| Ilwaco, WA | 1 | $2,335.50 | $2,335.50 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | 1 | $2,523.30 | $2,523.30 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 1 | $1,083.68 | $1,083.68 |
| Othello, WA | 1 | $2,112.19 | $2,112.19 |
| Port Angeles, WA | 1 | $2,012.80 | $2,012.80 |
| Republic, WA | 1 | $2,626.56 | $2,626.56 |
| South Bend, WA | 1 | $2,130.80 | $2,130.80 |
| Shelton, WA | 1 | $3,179.03 | $3,179.03 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 1 | $2,705.50 | $2,705.50 |
| Yakima, WA | 1 | $937.95 | $937.95 |
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
- Hawaii$1,531.60
- 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
- West Virginia$1,350.75
- Wisconsin$2,210.00
- Wyoming$2,274.75
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.