MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in Milwaukee, WI

Prices at 6 hospitals in Milwaukee, WI, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,110 — 8% above the US median ($1,948), roughly 11.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Ascension Se Wisconsin Hospital Milwaukee, WI $1,342 $487 ★ 5/5 119 min 13.6%
Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI $2,067 $372 ★ 3/5 165 min 13.7%
Aurora St Lukes Medical Center Milwaukee, WI $2,110 $1,352 ★ 4/5 174 min 15.4%
Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital Milwaukee, WI $2,767 $2,524 ★ 3/5 275 min 15.4%
Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI $2,784 $4,282

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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$4,220
Cash / self-pay
$2,110
Insurer-negotiated
$920
Medicare pays
$192
$1,632$2,777
Median cash $2,110  ·  Medicare $192  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,110 — about 11.0× the Medicare rate ($192). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($383).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,220 list price could save about $2,110 (50%).

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.

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices in Wisconsin → · All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Milwaukee