MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) without contrast cost in Delaware

Prices at 6 hospitals in Delaware, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,813 — 45% above the US median ($1,939), roughly 14.7× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
St Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE $1,613 $816 ★ 3/5 194 min 14.8%
Tidalhealth Nanticoke, Inc. Seaford, DE $2,145 $648 ★ 3/5 167 min 15.4%
Beebe Medical Center Lewes, DE $2,760 $837 ★ 3/5 174 min 14.9%
Bayhealth Medical Center, Kent Campus Dover, DE $2,865 $335 ★ 2/5 278 min 15.0%
Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus Milford, DE $2,865 $325 ★ 3/5 252 min 15.0%
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware Wilmington, DE $5,260 $2,475

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)
$3,329
Cash / self-pay
$2,813
Insurer-negotiated
$732
Medicare pays
$192
$1,879$4,063
Median cash $2,813  ·  Medicare $192  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,813 — about 14.7× 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 $3,329 list price could save about $516 (16%).

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.

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 Delaware →