MRI lower back without contrast in Iowa
Below is what hospitals in Iowa charge if you pay cash, and the typical rate insurers negotiated.
Cash prices at 31 hospitals in Iowa run from $432 to $3,963. The typical hospital charges $1,408. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $1,408
Cheaper than most hospitalsPricier than most hospitals
32 hospitals. Sort by: Cash price ▲ · Negotiated median · Gross charge · Negotiated low
What these numbers mean.
Cash price is what the hospital lists for patients paying out of pocket.
Negotiated median is the middle of what insurance companies actually agreed to pay.
Gross charge is the sticker price — almost nobody pays it.
What you will actually pay is usually different from both numbers:
with insurance, your deductible, copay, or coinsurance decides what you owe —
the negotiated rate is what the insurer pays, not your bill.
A single line item may not be the whole cost: physician, anesthesia, pathology,
and facility fees can be billed separately.
Prices vary by hospital and change over time; always confirm with the hospital before you go.
| Hospital | Cash price | Where it sits | Insurance pays (typical) | Gross charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Finley Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Trinity Muscatine IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Jones Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| St Lukes Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| St Lukes Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Unitypoint Health - Marshalltown IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Trinity Regional Medical Center IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Allen Hospital IA · Price file November 4, 2026 | $432Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $540 | Lowest price of any hospital | $233 | $540 |
| Univ Of Iowa Health Network Rehab Hosp Manchester, IA | $697Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $929 | Cheaper than 67% of hospitals | — | $929 |
| Van Diest Medical Center IA · Price file November 12, 2022 | $714Insurance typically pays $803Sticker price $892 | Cheaper than 63% of hospitals | $803 | $892 |
| Orange City Area Health System IA · Price file September 23, 2026 | $1,004Insurance typically pays $581Sticker price $1,256 | Cheaper than 60% of hospitals | $581 | $1,256 |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 29, 2026 | $1,302Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,627 | Cheaper than 57% of hospitals | — | $1,627 |
| Jefferson County Health Center IA · Price file August 20, 2026 | $1,310Insurance typically pays $852Sticker price $2,184 | Cheaper than 53% of hospitals | $852 | $2,184 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Belmond IA · Price file April 22, 2026 | $1,408Insurance typically pays $605Sticker price $2,347 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $605 | $2,347 |
| Iowa Specialty Hospital - Clarion IA · Price file June 11, 2026 | $1,463Insurance typically pays $605Sticker price $2,438 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | $605 | $2,438 |
| Virginia Gay Hospital IA · Price file August 13, 2026 | $1,856Insurance typically pays $1,082Sticker price $2,320 | Pricier than 57% of hospitals | $1,082 | $2,320 |
| Manning Regional Healthcare Center IA · Price file October 16, 2026 | $1,876Insurance typically pays $1,982Sticker price $2,642 | Pricier than 60% of hospitals | $1,982 | $2,642 |
| Stewart Memorial Community Hospital IA | $1,938Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,423 | Pricier than 63% of hospitals | — | $2,423 |
| Cass County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file June 1, 2026 | $1,966Insurance typically pays $1,192Sticker price $2,809 | Pricier than 67% of hospitals | $1,192 | $2,809 |
| Hawarden Regional Healthcare IA | $1,997Insurance typically pays $1,797Sticker price $2,349 | Pricier than 70% of hospitals | $1,797 | $2,349 |
| Shenandoah Medical Center IA · Price file September 21, 2026 | $2,006Insurance typically pays $1,080Sticker price $3,086 | Pricier than 73% of hospitals | $1,080 | $3,086 |
| Myrtue Medical Center IA · Price file April 21, 2026 | $2,054Insurance typically pays $1,681Sticker price $3,542 | Pricier than 77% of hospitals | $1,681 | $3,542 |
| Crawford County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $2,388Insurance typically pays $2,537Sticker price $2,985 | Pricier than 80% of hospitals | $2,537 | $2,985 |
| Boone County Hospital IA · Price file July 27, 2026 | $2,485Insurance typically pays $1,305Sticker price $3,106 | Pricier than 83% of hospitals | $1,305 | $3,106 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Medical Center IA · Price file March 31, 2026 | $2,590Insurance typically pays $327Sticker price $3,984 | Pricier than 87% of hospitals | $327 | $3,984 |
| Adair County Memorial Hospital IA · Price file September 2, 2026 | $2,756Insurance typically pays $2,389Sticker price $3,675 | Pricier than 90% of hospitals | $2,389 | $3,675 |
| Madison County Health Care System IA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $2,787Insurance typically pays $2,265Sticker price $3,484 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $2,265 | $3,484 |
| Guthrie County Hospital IA · Price file September 26, 2026 | $3,247Insurance typically pays $2,175Sticker price $3,247 | Pricier than 97% of hospitals | $2,175 | $3,247 |
| St Anthony Regional Hospital & Nursing Home IA · Price file November 3, 2026 | $3,963Insurance typically pays $1,625Sticker price $3,963 | Highest price of any hospital | $1,625 | $3,963 |
| Ottumwa Regional Health Center IA · Price file July 23, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $6,648 | — | — | $6,648 |
Procedure code 72148. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.