How much does MRI cervical spine, without contrast cost in San Francisco, CA?

CPT 72141 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for San Francisco, CA.

Estimates only. Educational estimates from public Medicare benchmarks and hospital-published prices — not a guarantee, and not legal, medical, or financial advice.
72141 MRI cervical spine, without contrast
Ask to pay
$483
About 2.0× what Medicare pays — most hospitals accept a self-pay rate in this range.
What Medicare paysⓘ
$242
Typical price near you
$3,842
Cash / self-pay price
$3,949
Prices near you — 19 facilities, lowest first
FacilityTypePricevs MedicareQuality
Natividad Medical Center (Salinas) lowest Hospital $232cash 1.0× —
UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco) Hospital $1,994cash 8.2× ★★★★★
Highland Hospital – Alameda Health System (Oakland) Hospital $2,222cash 9.2× —
Dignity Dominican Hospital (Santa Cruz) Hospital $2,648cash 11.0× —
John Muir Health Concord Medical Center (Concord) Hospital $2,657cash 11.0× —
John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center (Walnut Creek) Hospital $2,657cash 11.0× ★★★★★
Dignity Sequoia Hospital (Redwood City) Hospital $3,532cash 14.6× ★★★★★
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley (Pleasanton) Hospital $3,540cash 14.6× —
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center (San Francisco) Hospital $3,735cash 15.5× ★★★★★
Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center (Napa) Hospital $3,949cash 16.3× —
Stanford Health Care (Stanford) Hospital $4,513cash 18.7× ★★★★★
Sutter CPMC Van Ness Campus (San Francisco) Hospital $5,265cash 21.8× —
Prices from each hospital's public machine-readable file; imaging & surgery-center prices are published self-pay rates (often the cheapest option). vs Medicare is how many times the Medicare rate each facility charges. 1 unusually low/high price excluded from the typical price as likely data errors.
💬 What to say — negotiation scripts
  • For 72141 (MRI cervical spine, without contrast), Medicare's benchmark rate is $241.72. A fair self-pay target for this line is $483.44. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
  • Your own published cash / self-pay price for 72141 is $3,949.44, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $2,657.25–$5,265.00. Please apply a rate in that range to my bill rather than the gross charge.
  • Please send a fully itemized bill listing every CPT/HCPCS/DRG code and its individual charge, so I can review each line against published rates.
  • Separately, what is your financial assistance / charity care policy, and am I eligible? Please send me the application and the income thresholds.
See MRI cervical spine, without contrast prices in another area

What should 72141 cost in San Francisco, CA?

For MRI cervical spine, without contrast (CPT 72141) in San Francisco, CA, a fair self-pay price is around $3,842, with hospitals ranging from $2,657 to $5,265 across 19 facilities. Medicare's benchmark rate is $242, the floor to negotiate toward. The card above lists each hospital's price, cheapest first, with CMS quality stars.

Frequently asked questions

How much does MRI cervical spine, without contrast cost in San Francisco, CA?

A fair self-pay price for MRI cervical spine, without contrast (CPT 72141) in San Francisco, CA is around $3,842, with hospital prices ranging from $2,657 to $5,265 across 19 facilities. These are estimates from hospital-published prices, not a guarantee.

What is the Medicare rate for CPT 72141?

Medicare pays about $242 for MRI cervical spine, without contrast (CPT 72141). That's the negotiation floor — a fair cash-pay target is roughly 1.5–2× it, well below typical gross charges.

Can I negotiate the price of MRI cervical spine, without contrast?

Yes. Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule hospitals must publish these rates, so you can ask to pay the cash or negotiated rate instead of the gross charge. Paste your bill on the home page for a ready-to-send appeal letter and the exact numbers to cite.

Got a bill for this?

If you were charged more than the fair price, you can usually negotiate it down. Paste your itemized bill to get a personalized appeal letter, the exact numbers to cite, an AI negotiation coach, and a charity-care eligibility check — free.

Compare other procedures in San Francisco, CA

Prices last refreshed September 2026 from each hospital's official CMS machine-readable file. Medicare rate: CY2025 OPPS/PFS/CLFS. Estimates only — not a guarantee.