MRI of the brain cost in Iowa

Prices at 56 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,655 — 22% above the US median ($2,172), roughly 9.9× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Greater Regional Medical Center Creston, IA $961 $1,661 ★ 3/5 101 min
Van Diest Medical Center Webster City, IA $1,019 $892 ★ 5/5 103 min
Keokuk County Health Center Sigourney, IA $1,141 $1,255 116 min
Methodist Jennie Edmundson Council Bluffs, IA $1,332 $806 ★ 3/5 150 min
St Lukes Hospital Cedar Rapids, IA $1,371 $290 ★ 4/5 166 min
St Lukes Regional Medical Center Sioux City, IA $1,371 $290 ★ 2/5 174 min
Greene County Medical Center Jefferson, IA $1,434 $2,308 104 min
Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown Marshalltown, IA $1,480 $336 ★ 3/5 162 min
Allen Hospital Waterloo, IA $1,480 $296 ★ 3/5 163 min
CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs Council Bluffs, IA $1,696 $711 ★ 5/5 171 min
Spencer Municipal Hospital Spencer, IA $1,702 $1,223 ★ 4/5 128 min
Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA $1,764 $314 ★ 3/5 114 min
Jackson County Regional Health Center Maquoketa, IA $1,790 $1,129 77 min
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Storm Lake, IA $1,907 $1,754 ★ 2/5 152 min
Stewart Memorial Community Hospital Lake City, IA $1,984 127 min
Trinity Muscatine Muscatine, IA $2,034 $308 ★ 4/5 136 min
Trinity Regional Medical Center Fort Dodge, IA $2,034 $291 ★ 2/5 167 min
Trinity-Bettendorf Bettendorf, IA $2,034 $291 ★ 3/5 205 min
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital Humboldt, IA $2,052 $1,985 100 min
Mercyone Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo, IA $2,068 $356 ★ 4/5 223 min
Community Memorial Hospital Medical Center Sumner, IA $2,116 $2,645 132 min
Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center Mason City, IA $2,170 $380 ★ 2/5 193 min
Cherokee Regional Medical Center Cherokee, IA $2,275 $2,528 ★ 2/5 134 min
Lakes Regional Healthcare Spirit Lake, IA $2,575 $1,056 ★ 2/5 125 min
Story County Hospital Nevada, IA $2,655 $3,112 102 min

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated September 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$3,478
Cash / self-pay
$2,655
Insurer-negotiated
$1,056
Medicare pays
$269
$1,340$3,913
Median cash $2,655  ·  Medicare $269  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,655 — about 9.9× the Medicare rate ($269). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($538).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,478 list price could save about $823 (24%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

MRI of the brain cost in other states

All MRI of the brain prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →