Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at MEDICAL CITY FRISCO HOSPITAL

5500 Frisco Square Blvd, Frisco, TX · Medicalcityhealthcare · · NPI 1699726406

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$11,532.72

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.

$11,532.72

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.

$329.13 with United vs $11,532.72 with National Healthcare Solutions — 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
United STARPerinate $329.13 ↓ -97%
United STARKids $329.13 ↓ -97%
United STAR $329.13 ↓ -97%
Amerigroup MGMCD $329.13 ↓ -97%
Amerigroup CHIP $329.13 ↓ -97%
United CHIP $329.13 ↓ -97%
United STARPLUS $329.13 ↓ -97%
Cigna Healthspring MGMCD $345.59 ↓ -97%
Aetna Better Health CHIP $355.46 ↓ -97%
Aetna Better Health MCD $355.46 ↓ -97%
Molina CHIP $362.04 ↓ -97%
Parkland Community Health Plan MCD $362.04 ↓ -97%
Molina STARKIDS $362.04 ↓ -97%
Molina STAR+PLUS $362.04 ↓ -97%
Molina MCDSTAR $362.04 ↓ -97%
Humana MGMCD $411.41 ↓ -96%
Imaging Providers of Texas HMOBlue $450.00 ↓ -96%
BCBS BlueAdvantageHMO $481.13 ↓ -96%
BCBS MyBlueHealth $481.13 ↓ -96%
BCBS BluePremier $496.41 ↓ -96%
United NarrowNetworkIndivExchange $616.10 ↓ -95%
United SmallGroup $616.10 ↓ -95%
Aetna QHPHIX $761.00 ↓ -93%
Superior Health Plan STARHealth $807.29 ↓ -93%
Superior Health Plan STARPLUS $807.29 ↓ -93%
Superior Health Plan STARKids $807.29 ↓ -93%
Superior Health Plan CHIP $807.29 ↓ -93%
Superior Health Plan MCDSTAR $807.29 ↓ -93%
United AllPayerAppendix $828.27 ↓ -93%
Aetna NewBusiness $1,045.00 ↓ -91%
Humana COMM $1,066.39 ↓ -91%
Aetna Meritain $1,117.00 ↓ -90%
Aetna COMM $1,117.00 ↓ -90%
Aetna OON $1,314.00 ↓ -89%
BCBS BlueEssentialsAccess $1,485.40 ↓ -87%
BCBS BlueEssentials $1,485.40 ↓ -87%
Cigna IFP $1,556.92 ↓ -86%
BCBS EPOSOA $1,557.95 ↓ -86%
Cigna QHP $1,614.58 ↓ -86%
BCBS PPO $1,630.50 ↓ -86%
United OptionsPPO $2,006.69 ↓ -83%
LifeCare Hospitals MGMCR $3,459.82 ↓ -70%
LifeCare Hospitals MGMCD $3,459.82 ↓ -70%
Healthcare Highways CityofPlano $3,898.06 ↓ -66%
Prominence Health Plan HIX $4,613.09 ↓ -60%
BCBS Traditional $5,120.53 ↓ -56%
City of McKinney COMM $5,189.72 ↓ -55%
Fidelis SecureCare MGMCR $5,189.72 ↓ -55%
National ChoiceCare WCOMP $5,766.36 ↓ -50%
Aetna ASA $6,077.74 ↓ -47%
Physicians Coop of TX MGMCR $6,343.00 ↓ -45%
Rockport Health Group WORKERSCOMP $6,343.00 ↓ -45%
Aetna WCOMP $6,343.00 ↓ -45%
PC Texas Partners WCOMP $6,343.00 ↓ -45%
Averde Health, Inc PPO $6,688.98 ↓ -42%
Aetna Coventry First Health NONEXCLUSIVE $6,977.30 ↓ -39%
Aetna Coventry First Health EXCLUSIVE $6,977.30 ↓ -39%
Texas Healthcare Foundation WC WORKERSCOMP $7,496.27 ↓ -35%
Mega Life MGMCRPPO $8,072.90 ↓ -30%
Coastal Comp Health Networks WCOMP $8,072.90 ↓ -30%
LEWISVILLE ISD/DLS CONSULTING COMMPPO $8,649.54 ↓ -25%
HealthSmart Preferred Care PPO $8,649.54 ↓ -25%
USC Health Services COMM $9,226.18 ↓ -20%
USA Managed Care COMM $9,226.18 ↓ -20%
Galaxy Health Network PPO $9,802.81 ↓ -15%
Unicare MCD $11,532.72 ↑ +0%
Independent Medical Systems COMM $11,532.72 ↑ +0%
National Healthcare Solutions COMM $11,532.72 ↑ +0%

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at other Texas hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL Frisco $3,196.33 $329.13 – $3,995.41
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - FRISCO AT PGA PARKWAY Frisco $3,196.33 $329.13 – $3,995.41
Texas Health Hospital Frisco Frisco $3,264.90 $329.13 – $355.46
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas $5,565.11 $1,779.42 – $1,779.42
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER Dallas $3,196.33 $329.13 – $3,995.41
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM Brenham $3,200.98 $494.01 – $4,801.46
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA Suite 110 $3,167.94 $329.13 – $3,959.93
BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION College Station $3,200.98 $332.94 – $4,801.46

All Texas hospitals for this procedure →