Prices at 52 hospitals in Louisiana, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $948 — 57% below the US median ($2,190), roughly 3.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia General Hospital | Crowley, LA | $345 | $325 | ★ 3/5 | 108 min | 15.4% |
| Natchitoches Regional Medical Center | Natchitoches, LA | $348 | $348 | ★ 4/5 | 160 min | 15.4% |
| Our Lady of the Lake Surgical Hospital | Slidell, LA | $392 | $402 | — | — | 14.4% |
| Ochsner St Mary | Morgan City, LA | $433 | $348 | ★ 2/5 | 81 min | 15.4% |
| Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport-St Mary Medical Cent | Shreveport, LA | $433 | $348 | ★ 2/5 | — | — |
| Ochsner American Legion Hospital | Jennings, LA | $451 | $626 | ★ 2/5 | 104 min | 15.3% |
| New Orleans East Hospital | New Orleans, LA | $457 | $1,000 | — | 137 min | 14.9% |
| Leonard J Chabert Medical Center | Houma, LA | $481 | $456 | ★ 3/5 | 128 min | 14.8% |
| Slidell Memorial Hospital | Slidell, LA | $541 | $400 | ★ 2/5 | 203 min | 16.0% |
| Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge, LA | $551 | $405 | ★ 4/5 | 179 min | 14.6% |
| Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport | Shreveport, LA | $571 | $442 | ★ 2/5 | 247 min | 15.8% |
| Ochsner Medical Center Acute | New Orleans, LA | $630 | $991 | ★ 4/5 | 168 min | 16.2% |
| Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner | Kenner, LA | $642 | $839 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | 15.3% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital | Luling, LA | $652 | $832 | — | 117 min | 15.2% |
| Alexandria Hospital | Alexandria, LA | $675 | — | — | — | — |
| Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital | Kaplan, LA | $675 | $849 | — | 87 min | 14.9% |
| 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 | — |
| Christus St Frances Cabrini Hospital | Alexandria, LA | $769 | $476 | ★ 3/5 | 211 min | 16.4% |
| 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% |
| Childrens Hospital | New Orleans, LA | $902 | $1,092 | — | — | — |
| West Jefferson Medical Center | Marrero, LA | $910 | $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 $948 — about 3.5× the Medicare rate ($271). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($542).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,841 list price could save about $1,893 (67%).
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 mid-back (thoracic spine) with contrast cost in other states
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