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

Prices at 50 hospitals in Nebraska, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,113 — 41% above the US median ($2,210), roughly 11.5× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Midwest Surgical Hospital Llc Omaha, NE $550 $503 — — —
CHI Health Nebraska Heart Lincoln, NE $1,312 $692 ★ 4/5 — —
The Nebraska Methodist Hospital Omaha, NE $1,328 $711 ★ 4/5 156 min —
Ogallala Community Hospital Ogallala, NE $1,430 $1,667 — 106 min —
CHI Health Bergan Mercy Omaha, NE $1,696 $686 ★ 4/5 156 min —
CHI Health Immanuel Omaha, NE $1,696 $673 ★ 3/5 128 min —
CHI Health Midlands Papillion, NE $1,696 $727 ★ 4/5 137 min —
CHI Health Lakeside Omaha, NE $1,696 $673 ★ 4/5 179 min —
CHI Health St. Elizabeth Lincoln, NE $1,884 $917 ★ 4/5 158 min —
Bryan Medical Center Lincoln, NE $2,098 $588 ★ 3/5 112 min —
Grand Island Regional Medical Center Grand Island, NE $2,098 $2,036 ★ 2/5 103 min —
Nebraska Spine Hospital, Llc Omaha, NE $2,143 $1,053 — — —
CHI Health Good Samaritan Kearney, NE $2,345 $1,135 ★ 4/5 138 min —
CHI Health St. Marys Nebraska City, NE $2,345 $1,135 ★ 4/5 116 min —
Faith Regional Health Services Norfolk, NE $2,482 $398 ★ 3/5 101 min —
Merrick Medical Center Central City, NE $2,621 $4,062 — 127 min —
Crete Area Medical Center Crete, NE $2,621 $3,853 — 104 min —
Methodist Fremont Health Fremont, NE $2,663 $5,961 ★ 2/5 126 min —
Chadron Hospital Chadron, NE $2,759 $3,744 ★ 3/5 110 min —
Brown County Hospital Ainsworth, NE $2,787 $3,530 — 110 min —
CHI Health St. Francis Grand Island, NE $2,872 $1,305 ★ 4/5 120 min —
Thayer County Health Services Hebron, NE $2,900 $3,516 — 88 min —
Kearney County Health Services Hospital Minden, NE $2,964 $2,895 — 125 min —
Pender Community Hospital Pender, NE $3,097 $3,444 — 128 min —
Regional West Medical Center Scottsbluff, NE $3,128 $341 ★ 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$4,037
Cash / self-pay
$3,113
Insurer-negotiated
$2,688
Medicare pays
$270
$1,669$4,487
Median cash $3,113  ·  Medicare $270  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $3,113 — about 11.5× 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 $4,037 list price could save about $924 (23%).

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.

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MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine) cost in other states

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