Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (with contrast) at akron general

1 Akron General Avenue, Akron, OH · Cleveland Clinic · · NPI 1821035940

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jun 15, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$1,601.60

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$2,464.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$0.87 with AETNA vs $2,464.00 with AETNA — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
AETNA Acop $0.87 ↓ -100%
AETNA Asa_Whirlpool_Peia $1.01 ↓ -100%
Zing Health Medicare Advantage $1.10 ↓ -100%
Aetna ALL PRODUCTS $1.65 ↓ -100%
Summacare Medicare Advantage Lower Level $52.05 ↓ -97%
Summacare Medicare Advantage Psych $60.57 ↓ -96%
Summacare Medicare Advantage CNA $68.06 ↓ -96%
Summacare Medicare Advantage MD $76.07 ↓ -95%
The Health Plan All Products $80.76 ↓ -95%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $80.76 ↓ -95%
Valor All Products $80.76 ↓ -95%
United Medicare Advantage $80.76 ↓ -95%
Humana Medicare Advantage HMO $80.76 ↓ -95%
Anthem Medicare Advantage $80.76 ↓ -95%
Optum Medicare Advantage Transplant $80.76 ↓ -95%
The Health Plan Medicare Advantage $80.76 ↓ -95%
CommuniCare Medicare Advantage $84.80 ↓ -95%
PPHP All Products $86.48 ↓ -95%
Anthem All Products Mid-Level Non-Facility $114.28 ↓ -93%
Anthem All Products Mid-Level Facility $114.28 ↓ -93%
MMO Medicare HMO & PPO $153.84 ↓ -90%
United HMO & PPO $161.15 ↓ -90%
Summacare Premier $163.34 ↓ -90%
Summacare Preferred $164.75 ↓ -90%
Oscar All Products $180.92 ↓ -89%
United All Products - Mid-Level $212.11 ↓ -87%
United All Products $233.13 ↓ -85%
OHCP All Products $276.97 ↓ -83%
Anthem All Products Physician Non-Facility $290.27 ↓ -82%
Anthem All Products Physician $290.27 ↓ -82%
Anthem All Products Physician Facility $290.27 ↓ -82%
OPTUM Managed Medicaid Transplant $306.46 ↓ -81%
CARESOURCE Managed Medicaid $322.59 ↓ -80%
Buckeye Managed Medicaid $322.59 ↓ -80%
UNITED MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $329.98 ↓ -79%
OPTUM All Products VA $329.98 ↓ -79%
MMO Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO $329.98 ↓ -79%
HUMANA Medicare Advantage HMO $329.98 ↓ -79%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $330.06 ↓ -79%
ANTHEM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $330.06 ↓ -79%
Valor HMO & PPO $330.06 ↓ -79%
Summacare MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $330.06 ↓ -79%
UPMC MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $330.06 ↓ -79%
ANTHEM Managed Medicaid $338.72 ↓ -79%
UNITED Managed Medicaid $338.72 ↓ -79%
MOLINA Managed Medicaid $338.72 ↓ -79%
CIGNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $339.96 ↓ -79%
The Health Plan MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $341.53 ↓ -79%
United BH Managed Medicaid $341.95 ↓ -79%
Aultcare PPO/HMO $351.73 ↓ -78%
AMERIHEALTH Managed Medicaid $354.85 ↓ -78%
OMAS All Products $356.00 ↓ -78%
Perennial Health MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $356.38 ↓ -78%
Perennial Health HMO I-SNP and HMO C-SNP $356.47 ↓ -78%
PPHP ALL PRODUCTS $363.07 ↓ -77%
MMO NASCO $384.48 ↓ -76%
MMO SuperMed $384.48 ↓ -76%
Optum All Products Transplant $415.10 ↓ -74%
PHPHI All Products $427.20 ↓ -73%
ANTHEM HPN $484.50 ↓ -70%
GMS All Products $498.40 ↓ -69%
MMO Traditional $498.40 ↓ -69%
Aetna All Products First Health $534.00 ↓ -67%
Consociate Health All Products $534.00 ↓ -67%
Aetna Asa $569.60 ↓ -64%
Multiplan All Products $640.80 ↓ -60%
OSCAR ALL PRODUCTS $696.82 ↓ -56%
Aetna Qhp/Ifp $712.00 ↓ -56%
PHPHI ALL PRODUCTS $788.48 ↓ -51%
PHP ALL PRODUCTS $788.48 ↓ -51%
MMO ALL PRODUCTS $849.58 ↓ -47%
Summacare PREMIER $884.58 ↓ -45%
ANTHEM PPO/HMO $977.84 ↓ -39%
CC EHP ALL PRODUCTS $997.92 ↓ -38%
Amish Community Aid Plan ALL PRODUCTS $1,108.80 ↓ -31%
OHCP ALL PRODUCTS $1,197.50 ↓ -25%
OMAS ALL PRODUCTS $1,232.00 ↓ -23%
MMO TRADITIONAL $1,283.74 ↓ -20%
Ohio Healthy TRANSPLANT $1,330.56 ↓ -17%
ANTHEM TRADITIONAL $1,362.59 ↓ -15%
OPTUM All Products Transplant $1,394.62 ↓ -13%
UPMC ALL PRODUCTS $1,478.40 ↓ -8%
The Health Plan HMO $1,478.40 ↓ -8%
AETNA International $1,562.73 ↓ -2%
The Health Plan ASO Self-Funded $1,700.16 ↑ +6%
GMS ALL PRODUCTS $1,724.80 ↑ +8%
Medical Benefit Corp Transplant SMCP $1,724.80 ↑ +8%
Consociate Health ALL PRODUCTS $1,848.00 ↑ +15%
AETNA ALL PRODUCTS $1,848.00 ↑ +15%
UNITED ALL PRODUCTS $1,863.61 ↑ +16%
Evernorth (Cigna BH) All Products Psychiatrist $1,971.20 ↑ +23%
MULTIPLAN ALL PRODUCTS $2,217.60 ↑ +38%
Managed Care Services TRANSPLANT $2,217.60 ↑ +38%
Tertiary Care Network TRANSPLANT $2,217.60 ↑ +38%
FrontPath TRANSPLANT $2,217.60 ↑ +38%
AETNA Qhp/Ipf $2,464.00 ↑ +54%
AmeriHealth Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Molina Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
AETNA NAP not published by hospital —
United BH ALL PRODUCTS not published by hospital —
Caresource Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
United BH MEDICARE ADVANTAGE not published by hospital —
Cigna All Products Mid-Level not published by hospital —
Cigna All Products Physician not published by hospital —
CommuniCare MEDICARE ADVANTAGE not published by hospital —
Optum Managed Medicaid Transplant not published by hospital —
United Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Aetna Acop not published by hospital —

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (with contrast) at other Ohio hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Trinity Medical Center East Steubenville $2,833.25 $1,146.00 – $4,399.01
cleveland clinic main campus Cleveland $2,064.40 $1.10 – $2,217.60
avon hospital Avon $1,601.60 $0.87 – $2,217.60
euclid hospital Euclid $1,601.60 $0.87 – $2,217.60
fairview hospital Cleveland $1,601.60 $0.87 – $2,217.60
lutheran hospital Cleveland $1,601.60 $0.87 – $2,217.60
hillcrest hospital Mayfield Heights $1,601.60 $0.87 – $2,217.60
lodi hospital Lodi $1,601.60 $356.43 – $2,217.60

All Ohio hospitals for this procedure →