MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in Minnesota

Prices at 76 hospitals in Minnesota, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,093 — 5% below the US median ($2,210), roughly 7.8× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital Saint Louis Park, MN $346 $364 ★ 3/5 257 min —
M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital Edina, MN $561 $330 ★ 5/5 204 min —
M Health Fairview University of Mn Medical Center Minneapolis, MN $561 $264 ★ 4/5 174 min —
M Health Fairview St John's Hospital Maplewood, MN $561 $264 ★ 5/5 188 min —
Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital Grand Rapids, MN $700 $312 ★ 4/5 149 min —
Allina United Hospital Saint Paul, MN $708 $849 ★ 3/5 182 min —
Abbott Northwestern Hospital Minneapolis, MN $708 $820 ★ 4/5 183 min —
Mercy Hospital Coon Rapids, MN $708 $759 ★ 3/5 178 min —
Regions Hospital Saint Paul, MN $753 $383 ★ 3/5 231 min —
Fairview Lakes Health Services Wyoming, MN $760 $355 ★ 3/5 186 min —
Fairview Northland Regional Hospital Princeton, MN $760 $355 ★ 4/5 150 min —
M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital Woodbury, MN $760 $355 ★ 4/5 158 min —
M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital Burnsville, MN $805 $347 ★ 4/5 190 min —
Maple Grove Hospital Maple Grove, MN $934 $441 ★ 5/5 194 min —
New Ulm Medical Center New Ulm, MN $1,413 $1,385 ★ 5/5 100 min —
Riverwood Healthcare Center Aitkin, MN $1,439 $557 — 96 min —
Lakeview Memorial Hospital Stillwater, MN $1,487 $599 ★ 4/5 168 min —
Cambridge Medical Center Cambridge, MN $1,648 $1,160 ★ 4/5 140 min —
Owatonna Hospital Owatonna, MN $1,648 $1,209 ★ 5/5 116 min —
Allina Health Faribault Medical Center Faribault, MN $1,648 $1,158 ★ 3/5 128 min —
Buffalo Hospital Buffalo, MN $1,648 $1,158 ★ 5/5 138 min —
St Francis Medical Center Breckenridge, MN $1,648 $1,114 — 110 min —
Essentia Health Virginia Virginia, MN $1,779 $1,693 ★ 4/5 131 min —
Hutchinson Health Hutchinson, MN $1,797 $700 ★ 3/5 140 min —
Essentia Health St Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN $1,869 $1,313 ★ 4/5 201 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$2,943
Cash / self-pay
$2,093
Insurer-negotiated
$1,477
Medicare pays
$270
$730$3,807
Median cash $2,093  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $2,093 — about 7.8× the Medicare rate ($270). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($539).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,943 list price could save about $850 (29%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

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 lower back (lumbar spine) cost in other states

All MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) prices (national) → · All hospitals in Minnesota →