Lower back MRI cost in North Dakota
In North Dakota, 31 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $1,110.00 to $3,445.60, with a median of $1,934.90. The lowest price is at Nelson County Health System Hospital (McVille). The highest price is 3.1× the lowest.
- The median here, $1,934.90, is about the same as the US median of $1,902.72.
- That is 7.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($243.77).
- North Dakota ranks 28th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 7 of 31 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 72148. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 6, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$1,110.00Nelson County Health System Hospital
Median$1,934.90half of hospitals charge less
Highest$3,445.60in North Dakota
Lowest saves$824.90vs the median
Hospitals in North Dakota, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson County Health System Hospital lowest McVille · McVille, ND HC MRI-L-SPINE W/O DYE | $1,110.00 | $1,110.00 | Jul 14, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Devils Lake Devils Lake · Devils Lake, ND LUMBAR SPINE COMP WO CONT | $1,343.16 | $3,198.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Southwest Healthcare Services Bowman · Bowman, ND MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,354.50 | $1,505.00 | Oct 16, 2025 source file |
| Linton Regional Medical Center Linton · Linton, ND MRI scan of lower spinal canal | $1,376.00 | $1,376.00 | — source file |
| CHI St Alexius Health Bismarck · Bismarck, ND HC MR LUMBAR WO CONTRAST | $1,452.00 | $2,904.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| McKenzie County Healthcare System Watford City · Watford City, ND MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,508.00 | $2,320.00 | May 1, 2026 source file |
| Garrison Memorial Hospital Garrison · Garrison, ND HC MR LUMBAR WO CONTRAST | $1,510.18 | $2,254.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Heart of America Medical Center Rugby · Rugby, ND HC MRI-L-SPINE W/O DYE | $1,530.75 | $2,041.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center Williston · Williston, ND LUMBAR SPINE COMP WO CONT | $1,558.70 | $2,834.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Carrington Health Center Carrington · Carrington, ND LUMBAR SPINE COMP WO CONT | $1,559.96 | $2,644.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Pembina County Memorial Hospital Cavalier · Cavalier, ND HC MRI-L-SPINE W/O DYE | $1,574.00 | $1,574.00 | Nov 13, 2025 source file |
| CHI Oakes Hospital Oakes · Oakes, ND LUMBAR SPINE COMP WO CONT | $1,588.08 | $3,054.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Valley City Valley City · Valley City, ND LUMBAR SPINE COMP WO CONT | $1,822.36 | $3,142.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center Elgin · Elgin, ND MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,825.91 | $2,434.55 | Mar 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph's Hospital and Health Center Dickinson · Dickinson, ND LUMBAR SPINE COMP WO CONT | $1,827.82 | $3,098.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Lisbon Area Health Services Lisbon · Lisbon, ND LUMBAR SPINE COMP WO CONT | $1,934.90 | $3,518.00 | Sep 30, 2026 source file |
| Northwood Deaconess Health Center Northwood · Grand Forks, ND-MN HC MRI-L-SPINE W/O DYE | $2,056.00 | $2,570.00 | Jul 16, 2026 source file |
| SMP Health - St. Aloisius Harvey · Harvey, ND MRI scan of lower spinal canal | $2,074.00 | $2,304.00 | — source file |
| Essentia Health Fargo Fargo · Fargo, ND-MN MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,164.50 | $2,886.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Hillsboro Medical Center Hillsboro · Hillsboro, ND MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,202.40 | $2,753.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Mayville Medical Center Mayville · Mayville, ND MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,202.40 | $2,753.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Altru Hospital Grand Forks · Grand Forks, ND-MN HC MRI-L-SPINE W/O DYE | $2,204.54 | $3,614.00 | Mar 1, 2026 source file |
| Altru Hospital Devils Lake Devils Lake · Devils Lake, ND HC MRI-L-SPINE W/O DYE | $2,204.54 | $3,614.00 | Mar 1, 2026 source file |
| Kenmare Community Hospital Kenmare · Minot, ND MRI SPINE LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST | $2,440.00 | $3,050.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Hospitals Minot · Minot, ND MRI SPINE LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST | $2,440.00 | $3,050.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St. Luke's Hospital Crosby · Crosby, ND HC MRI-L-SPINE W/O DYE | $2,475.35 | $2,475.35 | Oct 6, 2026 source file |
| Ashley Medical Center Ashley · Ashley, ND MRI L SPINE W/O - LUMBAR | $2,511.00 | $2,511.00 | Oct 9, 2026 source file |
| Tioga Medical Center Tioga · Williston, ND MRI scan of lower spinal canal | $2,753.00 | $2,753.00 | — source file |
| Towner County Medical Center Cando · Cando, ND MRI scan of lower spinal canal | $2,784.00 | $2,784.00 | — source file |
| Sanford Medical Center Bismarck Bismarck · Bismarck, ND MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $3,249.60 | $4,062.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Sanford Fargo Medical Center Fargo · Fargo, ND-MN MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST | $3,445.60 | $4,307.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND | 2 | $1,452.00 | $2,350.80 |
| Devils Lake, ND | 2 | $1,343.16 | $1,773.85 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 2 | $2,164.50 | $2,805.05 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 2 | $2,056.00 | $2,130.27 |
| Minot, ND | 2 | $2,440.00 | $2,440.00 |
| Williston, ND | 2 | $1,558.70 | $2,155.85 |
| Ashley, ND | 1 | $2,511.00 | $2,511.00 |
| Bowman, ND | 1 | $1,354.50 | $1,354.50 |
| Cando, ND | 1 | $2,784.00 | $2,784.00 |
| Carrington, ND | 1 | $1,559.96 | $1,559.96 |
| Cavalier, ND | 1 | $1,574.00 | $1,574.00 |
| Crosby, ND | 1 | $2,475.35 | $2,475.35 |
| Dickinson, ND | 1 | $1,827.82 | $1,827.82 |
| Elgin, ND | 1 | $1,825.91 | $1,825.91 |
| Garrison, ND | 1 | $1,510.18 | $1,510.18 |
| Harvey, ND | 1 | $2,074.00 | $2,074.00 |
| Hillsboro, ND | 1 | $2,202.40 | $2,202.40 |
| Linton, ND | 1 | $1,376.00 | $1,376.00 |
| Lisbon, ND | 1 | $1,934.90 | $1,934.90 |
| Mayville, ND | 1 | $2,202.40 | $2,202.40 |
| McVille, ND | 1 | $1,110.00 | $1,110.00 |
| Oakes, ND | 1 | $1,588.08 | $1,588.08 |
| Rugby, ND | 1 | $1,530.75 | $1,530.75 |
| Valley City, ND | 1 | $1,822.36 | $1,822.36 |
| Watford City, ND | 1 | $1,508.00 | $1,508.00 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What lower back MRI is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lower back MRI explained.
MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in other states
- Alabama$1,596.76
- Alaska$3,437.78
- Arizona$1,752.45
- Arkansas$891.78
- California$3,060.69
- Colorado$2,164.66
- Connecticut$1,437.00
- Delaware$2,452.48
- District of Columbia$2,013.00, 3 hospitals
- Florida$3,699.50
- Georgia$1,713.00
- Hawaii$1,531.60
- Idaho$1,557.45
- Illinois$2,881.44
- Indiana$1,016.72
- Iowa$2,371.13
- Kansas$1,240.13
- Kentucky$1,725.03
- Louisiana$1,032.62
- Maine$1,419.25
- Maryland$495.14
- Massachusetts$1,805.25
- Michigan$1,806.88
- Minnesota$2,036.24
- Mississippi$1,302.62
- Missouri$1,861.45
- Montana$1,753.00
- Nebraska$3,216.00
- Nevada$2,308.53
- New Hampshire$2,455.25
- New Jersey$591.91
- New Mexico$2,038.78
- New York$1,307.22
- North Carolina$2,227.59
- Ohio$1,666.80
- Oklahoma$1,264.00
- Oregon$1,870.75
- Pennsylvania$1,790.00
- Puerto Rico$725.00
- Rhode Island$2,250.00
- South Carolina$2,193.60
- South Dakota$3,269.60
- Tennessee$984.54
- Texas$2,190.02
- Utah$4,273.11
- Vermont$3,576.90
- Virginia$2,000.00
- Washington$2,100.33
- West Virginia$1,350.75
- Wisconsin$2,210.00
- Wyoming$2,274.75
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.