Prices at 55 hospitals in Iowa, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,595 — 34% above the US median ($2,688), roughly 11.3× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Down | Iowa City, IA | $554 | $672 | ★ 4/5 | 149 min | — |
| University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | Iowa City, IA | $554 | $672 | ★ 2/5 | 210 min | — |
| Van Diest Medical Center | Webster City, IA | $765 | $669 | ★ 5/5 | 103 min | — |
| Keokuk County Health Center | Sigourney, IA | $877 | $965 | — | 116 min | — |
| Methodist Jennie Edmundson | Council Bluffs, IA | $1,147 | $823 | ★ 3/5 | 150 min | — |
| Greater Regional Medical Center | Creston, IA | $1,195 | $1,951 | ★ 3/5 | 101 min | — |
| Spencer Municipal Hospital | Spencer, IA | $1,235 | $1,223 | ★ 4/5 | 128 min | — |
| Greene County Medical Center | Jefferson, IA | $1,472 | $2,498 | — | 104 min | — |
| Mercyone North Iowa Medical Center | Mason City, IA | $1,643 | $855 | ★ 2/5 | 193 min | — |
| St Lukes Hospital | Cedar Rapids, IA | $1,727 | $316 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center | Sioux City, IA | $1,727 | $316 | ★ 2/5 | 174 min | — |
| CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs | Council Bluffs, IA | $1,749 | $870 | ★ 5/5 | 171 min | — |
| Lakes Regional Healthcare | Spirit Lake, IA | $1,888 | $1,489 | ★ 2/5 | 125 min | — |
| Buena Vista Regional Medical Center | Storm Lake, IA | $2,058 | $2,495 | ★ 2/5 | 152 min | — |
| CHI Health-Mercy Corning | Corning, IA | $2,441 | $4,883 | ★ 3/5 | 124 min | — |
| CHI Health Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley, IA | $2,492 | $4,883 | ★ 4/5 | 105 min | — |
| Unitypoint Health-Marshalltown | Marshalltown, IA | $2,532 | $347 | ★ 3/5 | 162 min | — |
| Allen Hospital | Waterloo, IA | $2,532 | $321 | ★ 3/5 | 163 min | — |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital | Lake City, IA | $2,672 | — | — | 127 min | — |
| Finley Hospital | Dubuque, IA | $2,741 | $359 | ★ 3/5 | 114 min | — |
| Clarke County Hospital | Osceola, IA | $2,989 | $907 | ★ 5/5 | 104 min | — |
| Humboldt County Memorial Hospital | Humboldt, IA | $3,056 | $2,643 | — | 100 min | — |
| Story County Hospital | Nevada, IA | $3,136 | $3,195 | — | 102 min | — |
| Jones Regional Medical Center | Anamosa, IA | $3,195 | $600 | ★ 4/5 | 116 min | — |
| Guttenberg Municipal Hospital | Guttenberg, IA | $3,400 | $3,081 | — | 96 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 $3,595 — about 11.3× the Medicare rate ($319). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($637).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,459 list price could save about $863 (19%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast cost in other states
All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) with and without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in Iowa →