Prices at 49 hospitals in Nebraska, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,128 — 62% above the US median ($1,936), roughly 16.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Surgical Hospital Llc | Omaha, NE | $500 | $364 | — | — | — |
| The Nebraska Methodist Hospital | Omaha, NE | $1,080 | $510 | ★ 4/5 | 156 min | — |
| Ogallala Community Hospital | Ogallala, NE | $1,144 | $1,652 | — | 106 min | — |
| CHI Health Bergan Mercy | Omaha, NE | $1,425 | $577 | ★ 4/5 | 156 min | — |
| CHI Health Immanuel | Omaha, NE | $1,425 | $509 | ★ 3/5 | 128 min | — |
| CHI Health Midlands | Papillion, NE | $1,425 | $611 | ★ 4/5 | 137 min | — |
| CHI Health Lakeside | Omaha, NE | $1,425 | $543 | ★ 4/5 | 179 min | — |
| CHI Health St. Elizabeth | Lincoln, NE | $1,583 | $797 | ★ 4/5 | 158 min | — |
| CHI Health Good Samaritan | Kearney, NE | $1,821 | $987 | ★ 4/5 | 138 min | — |
| CHI Health St. Marys | Nebraska City, NE | $1,821 | $987 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| Nebraska Spine Hospital, Llc | Omaha, NE | $2,072 | $789 | — | — | — |
| Bryan Medical Center | Lincoln, NE | $2,098 | $327 | ★ 3/5 | 112 min | — |
| Grand Island Regional Medical Center | Grand Island, NE | $2,098 | $2,325 | ★ 2/5 | 103 min | — |
| Merrick Medical Center | Central City, NE | $2,408 | $3,813 | — | 127 min | — |
| Crete Area Medical Center | Crete, NE | $2,408 | $3,813 | — | 104 min | — |
| CHI Health St. Francis | Grand Island, NE | $2,413 | $1,029 | ★ 4/5 | 120 min | — |
| Faith Regional Health Services | Norfolk, NE | $2,482 | $277 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Methodist Fremont Health | Fremont, NE | $2,506 | $5,622 | ★ 2/5 | 126 min | — |
| Chadron Hospital | Chadron, NE | $2,589 | $3,550 | ★ 3/5 | 110 min | — |
| Kearney County Health Services Hospital | Minden, NE | $2,794 | $2,667 | — | 125 min | — |
| Thayer County Health Services | Hebron, NE | $2,900 | $3,516 | — | 88 min | — |
| Garden County Health Services | Oshkosh, NE | $2,941 | $3,633 | — | 147 min | — |
| Brown County Hospital | Ainsworth, NE | $2,957 | $3,352 | — | 110 min | — |
| Pender Community Hospital | Pender, NE | $3,014 | $3,351 | — | 128 min | — |
| Regional West Medical Center | Scottsbluff, NE | $3,128 | $248 | ★ 2/5 | 202 min | — |
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 October 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 $3,128 — about 16.3× 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 $3,686 list price could save about $558 (15%).
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) without contrast cost in other states
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