Prices at 24 hospitals in North Dakota, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,780 — 9% below the US median ($1,948), roughly 9.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHI St Alexius Health Williston | Williston, ND | $908 | $763 | ★ 3/5 | 157 min | 15.6% |
| Sakakawea Medical Center-CAH | Hazen, ND | $1,361 | $759 | — | 119 min | 15.2% |
| CHI St Alexius Health Devils Lake | Devils Lake, ND | $1,363 | $2,405 | ★ 2/5 | 138 min | 14.9% |
| Linton Hospital-CAH | Linton, ND | $1,376 | $963 | — | 109 min | 14.8% |
| South Central Health | Wishek, ND | $1,409 | — | — | 96 min | 14.9% |
| CHI St Alexius Health | Bismarck, ND | $1,474 | $1,842 | ★ 4/5 | 164 min | 14.7% |
| Garrison Memorial Hospital | Garrison, ND | $1,474 | $1,842 | — | 111 min | — |
| Jamestown Regional Medical Center | Jamestown, ND | $1,487 | $1,333 | ★ 4/5 | 110 min | 14.7% |
| Carrington Health Center | Carrington, ND | $1,496 | $1,883 | — | 101 min | 14.9% |
| St Andrew's Hospital | Bottineau, ND | $1,523 | $1,290 | — | 105 min | 15.6% |
| CHI Oakes Hospital | Oakes, ND | $1,612 | $2,901 | — | 108 min | 15.0% |
| Mountrail County Medical Center Inc | Stanley, ND | $1,742 | $1,742 | — | 79 min | — |
| Lisbon Area Health Services | Lisbon, ND | $1,818 | $2,734 | — | 111 min | — |
| Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center | Elgin, ND | $1,826 | $2,313 | — | 111 min | — |
| CHI St Alexius Health Dickinson | Dickinson, ND | $1,952 | $2,447 | ★ 2/5 | 185 min | 13.6% |
| Presentation Medical Center | Rolla, ND | $2,074 | — | — | 104 min | 15.0% |
| Smp Health St Aloisius | Harvey, ND | $2,074 | — | ★ 1/5 | 76 min | 15.8% |
| Essentia Health | Fargo, ND | $2,093 | $1,863 | ★ 3/5 | 104 min | 14.8% |
| Sanford Mayville | Mayville, ND | $2,202 | $2,271 | — | 100 min | 14.7% |
| Sanford Hillsboro | Hillsboro, ND | $2,202 | $2,271 | — | 72 min | 15.1% |
| Altru Hospital | Grand Forks, ND | $2,205 | $285 | ★ 3/5 | 167 min | 13.9% |
| Tioga Medical Center | Tioga, ND | $2,673 | $2,673 | — | 84 min | 15.4% |
| Sanford Medical Center Bismarck | Bismarck, ND | $3,250 | $2,855 | ★ 4/5 | 175 min | 13.9% |
| Sanford Medical Center Fargo | Fargo, ND | $3,446 | $2,005 | ★ 4/5 | 189 min | 14.6% |
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 $1,780 — about 9.3× 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 $2,507 list price could save about $727 (29%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in other states
All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in North Dakota →