How much does a lower back MRI (lumbar spine) cost in Seattle?
Real prices from the federally mandated transparency files of
21 Seattle-area hospitals — what insurers actually negotiate and
what you'd pay cash. Not estimates. Hospital files dated 2025-07-25 to 2026-06-29.
$630
lowest median negotiated rate
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
$2,483
highest (adult hospitals)
EvergreenHealth Monroe
3.9×
price spread, same procedure
same metro, same procedure
Median negotiated rate per hospital · sorted low → high · hover a bar for cash price & range
* Pediatric specialty hospital. † Median based on fewer than 3 published rates — treat as indicative. Bars show the median dollar-denominated commercial negotiated rate; hospitals sharing a health-system contract show similar rates.
Hospital
Gross charge
Cash price
Commercial median
Range
# rates
Paying cash can beat using insurance. At Virginia Mason Medical Center, the self-pay price is $1,098 — less than the $1,207 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.