Hospital Price Lookup

MRI of the Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) cost in San Francisco, CA

Typical negotiated $339 · range $339–$1,392 · 7 hospitals · outpatient (same-day) · billed as CPT 72148 · hospital files updated through March 2026

In the San Francisco area, a Lumbar MRI typically has an insurer-negotiated price around $339 across 7 hospitals, usually $339 (full spread $339–$1,392). Where hospitals publish a self-pay cash price, it runs $3,282 (median $3,282). The chargemaster "list" price is far higher — a median of $5,860, which almost no one pays. Figures come from the hospitals' own price-transparency files; your cost depends on your insurance, the exact service, and the hospital.

  1. Chargemaster list price
    $5,860
    range $5,802–$5,860 · 7 hospitals

    The hospital's undiscounted sticker rate — almost no one actually pays it.

  2. Self-pay cash price
    $3,282
    one reported figure · 6 hospitals

    What an uninsured patient paying the hospital directly is offered.

  3. Typical negotiated price most representative
    $339
    range $339–$1,392 · 7 hospitals

    What health insurers actually pay, on average — the most representative figure.

How to read these prices

The negotiated price — a median of $339 here, usually $339 — is the most representative figure: it is what health insurers actually pay San Francisco-area hospitals for a Lumbar MRI, averaged so a single outlier contract cannot distort it.

The chargemaster list price (median $5,860) is far higher. The chargemaster (list) price is the hospital's undiscounted sticker rate. Almost no one actually pays it — insurers negotiate it down and self-pay patients are usually offered the cash price — but it shows how large the discount off list can be.

The self-pay cash price (median $3,282) is the one you can often ask for directly. A self-pay (cash) price is what the hospital will accept from an uninsured patient who pays directly; hospitals publish one only for some services, and it is often lower than the insurer-negotiated price.

Important — a price reference, not a bill

These figures are aggregated from hospitals' public price-transparency files — not a quote, a bill, an insurance benefit determination, or medical advice. Your actual out-of-pocket cost depends on your insurance plan (deductible, copay, coinsurance, network), the exact service and any complications, and which hospital you use. Always confirm price and coverage with the hospital and your insurer before care.

Lumbar MRI price by hospital — San Francisco area

Every San Francisco-area hospital reporting a Lumbar MRI in its price-transparency file, sorted by negotiated price. A dash means the hospital did not report that price — it is never filled with a guess.
Hospital Negotiated Cash List price
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - OAKLAND/RICHMOND $339 $3,282 $5,860
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - WALNUT CREEK $339 $3,282 $5,860
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - SAN FRANCISCO $339 $3,282 $5,860
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - FREMONT $339 $3,282 $5,860
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - ANTIOCH $339 $3,282 $5,860
KAISER FOUNDATION HOSPITAL - REDWOOD CITY $339 $3,282 $5,860
SETON MEDICAL CENTER $1,392 — $5,802

Source: hospitals' own machine-readable Standard Charges files, published under the U.S. Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR §180.50). Most recent hospital file in this dataset: July 2026. Prices are references, not quotes or bills, and never medical or financial advice — where a hospital reports no price, nothing is shown rather than a guess.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Lumbar MRI cost in San Francisco?
Across 7 San Francisco-area hospitals, the typical insurer-negotiated price for a Lumbar MRI is about $339, usually $339. The self-pay cash price, where published, runs $3,282. These figures are read from the hospitals' own price-transparency files.
Why is the hospital "list price" for a Lumbar MRI so much higher?
The chargemaster list price (a median of $5,860 here) is the undiscounted sticker rate. The chargemaster (list) price is the hospital's undiscounted sticker rate. Almost no one actually pays it — insurers negotiate it down and self-pay patients are usually offered the cash price — but it shows how large the discount off list can be.
What's the difference between the cash price and the negotiated price?
A self-pay (cash) price is what the hospital will accept from an uninsured patient who pays directly; hospitals publish one only for some services, and it is often lower than the insurer-negotiated price. Here the cash median is $3,282 and the negotiated typical is $339.
Is this what I will actually pay?
Not necessarily. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your insurance plan (deductible, copay, coinsurance, and network), the exact service performed, and which hospital you use. Use these figures to compare and to ask informed questions — they are references, not a bill or a quote.
Where do these prices come from?
Every figure is read from the hospitals' own machine-readable Standard Charges files, published under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR §180.50). Each hospital's file carries its own last-updated date, and prices are refreshed as hospitals republish. No figure on this page is estimated or modeled.

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