MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) with contrast cost in Minnesota

Prices at 70 hospitals in Minnesota, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,042 — 8% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 7.6× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital Saint Louis Park, MN $346 $378 ★ 3/5 252 min 15.4%
Fairview Lakes Health Services Wyoming, MN $561 $336 ★ 3/5 182 min 14.6%
M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital Edina, MN $561 $323 ★ 5/5 197 min 13.1%
M Health Fairview University of Mn Medical Center Minneapolis, MN $561 $290 ★ 4/5 171 min 14.4%
Fairview Northland Regional Hospital Princeton, MN $561 $336 ★ 4/5 137 min 14.3%
M Health Fairview St John's Hospital Maplewood, MN $561 $290 ★ 5/5 188 min 13.3%
M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital Woodbury, MN $561 $336 ★ 4/5 170 min 14.4%
Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital Grand Rapids, MN $594 $330 ★ 4/5 154 min 14.4%
M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital Burnsville, MN $594 $336 ★ 4/5 193 min 13.8%
Allina United Hospital Saint Paul, MN $730 $891 ★ 3/5 176 min 14.9%
Abbott Northwestern Hospital Minneapolis, MN $730 $860 ★ 4/5 187 min 14.9%
Mercy Hospital Coon Rapids, MN $730 $855 ★ 3/5 170 min 15.0%
Regions Hospital Saint Paul, MN $753 $385 ★ 3/5 226 min 14.1%
Maple Grove Hospital Maple Grove, MN $934 $527 ★ 5/5 184 min 14.9%
Windom Area Health Windom, MN $1,307 $798 108 min 14.7%
Lakeview Memorial Hospital Stillwater, MN $1,487 $599 ★ 4/5 158 min 14.2%
New Ulm Medical Center New Ulm, MN $1,615 $1,776 ★ 5/5 92 min 14.7%
Cambridge Medical Center Cambridge, MN $1,648 $1,209 ★ 4/5 144 min 15.0%
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna, MN $1,648 $1,215 ★ 5/5 119 min 14.1%
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribault, MN $1,648 $1,209 ★ 3/5 136 min 15.2%
Buffalo Hospital Buffalo, MN $1,648 $1,209 ★ 5/5 136 min 13.8%
St Francis Medical Center Breckenridge, MN $1,648 $1,158 112 min 14.9%
Essentia Health Virginia Virginia, MN $1,657 $1,239 ★ 4/5 137 min 14.6%
Essentia Health St Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN $1,741 $1,176 ★ 4/5 196 min 14.4%
Essentia Health Duluth Duluth, MN $1,741 $1,189 14.7%

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 August 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)
$2,943
Cash / self-pay
$2,042
Insurer-negotiated
$1,009
Medicare pays
$270
$561$3,508
Median cash $2,042  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,042 — about 7.6× 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 $2,943 list price could save about $901 (31%).

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

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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 Minnesota →