Prices at 52 hospitals in Louisiana, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $986 — 56% below the US median ($2,221), roughly 3.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natchitoches Regional Medical Center | Natchitoches, LA | $348 | $348 | ★ 4/5 | 160 min | 15.4% |
| Our Lady of the Lake Surgical Hospital | Slidell, LA | $392 | $391 | — | — | 14.4% |
| Ochsner St Mary | Morgan City, LA | $440 | $348 | ★ 2/5 | 81 min | 15.4% |
| Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport-St Mary Medical Cent | Shreveport, LA | $440 | $348 | ★ 2/5 | — | — |
| Ochsner American Legion Hospital | Jennings, LA | $451 | $626 | ★ 2/5 | 104 min | 15.3% |
| New Orleans East Hospital | New Orleans, LA | $513 | $1,000 | — | 137 min | 14.9% |
| Winn Parish Medical Center | Winnfield, LA | $536 | $1,788 | — | 100 min | 14.5% |
| Slidell Memorial Hospital | Slidell, LA | $541 | $400 | ★ 2/5 | 203 min | 16.0% |
| Leonard J Chabert Medical Center | Houma, LA | $549 | $497 | ★ 3/5 | 128 min | 14.8% |
| Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge, LA | $550 | $405 | ★ 4/5 | 179 min | 14.6% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital | Chalmette, LA | $564 | $549 | ★ 4/5 | 181 min | 15.0% |
| Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport | Shreveport, LA | $580 | $449 | ★ 2/5 | 247 min | 15.8% |
| Ochsner Medical Center Acute | New Orleans, LA | $629 | $989 | ★ 4/5 | 168 min | 16.2% |
| Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner | Kenner, LA | $642 | $838 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | 15.3% |
| Alexandria Hospital | Alexandria, LA | $675 | — | — | — | — |
| Ochsner LSU Health Monroe | Monroe, LA | $687 | $477 | ★ 3/5 | 155 min | 15.2% |
| Avoyelles Hospital | Marksville, LA | $693 | $2,310 | ★ 1/5 | 79 min | 15.1% |
| Lallie Kemp Medical Center | Independence, LA | $741 | $438 | — | 106 min | — |
| St Charles Parish Hospital | Luling, LA | $750 | $832 | — | 117 min | 15.2% |
| Christus St Frances Cabrini Hospital | Alexandria, LA | $758 | $476 | ★ 3/5 | 211 min | 16.4% |
| Acadia General Hospital | Crowley, LA | $779 | $442 | ★ 3/5 | 108 min | 15.4% |
| Ochsner St Anne General Hospital | Raceland, LA | $786 | $968 | — | 119 min | 14.5% |
| University Medical Center New Orleans | New Orleans, LA | $814 | $618 | ★ 2/5 | 353 min | 15.5% |
| Reeves Memorial Medical Center | Bernice, LA | $825 | $1,344 | — | 121 min | 14.9% |
| West Jefferson Medical Center | Marrero, LA | $870 | $1,476 | ★ 3/5 | 154 min | 15.0% |
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 June 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)
Typical cash price here is $986 — about 3.7× the Medicare rate ($270). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,768 list price could save about $1,782 (64%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
By city
MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast cost in other states
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Louisiana →