Skip to main content
States Procedures Methodology Search
CMS Price Transparency Data Hospital file updated: 3/5/2026

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Midwest Surgical Hospital LLC

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

Pillar 1 · The BaseRate™ CompositeHow 1.00× Fair BaseRate Works: Raw price averages unfairly penalize hospitals in high-wage cities or trauma centers treating sicker patients. We adjust for local CMS hospital wage levels and patient complexity first. A 1.00× score means right at the fair price average, 0.85× means 15% cheaper than fair market, and 1.30× means 30% above fair market.Above Fair Market · Negotiate
$407Fair BaseRate (1.06× Market)
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+6% Above Fair Price 1.00× (center of the bar) is the U.S. fair price average after accounting for local hospital wages and patient complexity. Left of center (<1.00×) is below fair price; right of center (>1.00×) is above fair price.

This hospital's typical commercial price is $433 compared to the $407 fair price benchmark.

Pillar 2 · VeriRate™ Data TrustHow VeriRate™ (0–100) Works: Hospitals are legally required to publish machine-readable price files, but some bury fake $0.01 numbers or omit cash discounts. VeriRate audits each file across 5 checks (hover any badge below to see what it tests).86/100 · Verified
86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited
File Completeness90Provenance (File Completeness): Checks whether the hospital published a complete, up-to-date machine-readable price file with valid CPT and MS-DRG billing codes instead of leaving blanks.
Price Logic88Coherence (Price Logic): Checks whether the hospital’s numbers make basic sense — e.g., self-pay cash price is lower than gross list price, with no fake $0.01 or $999,999 placeholder numbers.
Peer Alignment86Concordance (Peer Alignment): Checks whether reported prices sit in a realistic range compared to Medicare and nearby hospitals rather than wild 100× unit errors.
Clean Billing83Regularity (Clean Billing): Checks whether rates are structured consistently across procedures without erratic statistical spikes or hidden unbundled facility fees.
Real Cash Discount84Cash Honesty (Real Cash Discount): Checks whether the hospital offers a genuine self-pay cash discount that beats or matches commercial insurance rates instead of billing full sticker price.
Pillar 3 · Clinical Quality & ER SpeedChecks whether higher hospital prices actually buy better clinical quality — combining CMS Star Ratings, hospital safety scores, and emergency room wait times.Regional Quality Benchmark
CMS Star RatingNot RatedOfficial CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1 to 5 stars) summarizing mortality, safety of care, readmissions, and patient experience.
Safety ScoreNot ScoredComposite patient safety score (0–100) derived from CMS hospital-acquired infection rates (CLABSI, CAUTI, MRSA, C. diff), surgical complications, and HCAHPS surveys.
Typical ER WaitNo ER DataMedian minutes patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, as reported to CMS Timely and Effective Care.

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence
A fair price for this
$407
about 1.7× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $298–$462
modeled estimate · not a bill or quote
What this hospital charges insurers
$433
About the fair price
about $26 over the fair price · 1.8× Medicare
Medicare pays $244 Fair price $407 This hospital $433 Cash price $500 Hospital's list price $1,835

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NE hospitals

Highest price of the 9 NE hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $132 Priciest $433

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 NE hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a MRI, lower back (no contrast) is about $407 (about 1.7× the $244 Medicare rate). Midwest Surgical Hospital LLC charges insurers about $433, or about $500 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Omaha, NE.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

4 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

UnitedHealthcareBlue Cross Blue ShieldAetnaHumana CignaKaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company Price range vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor $364 149%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor $247 101%
Aetnamajor $576 236%
Humanamajor $247 101%
Medica $1,556 - $1,831 638%
Molina $251 103%
Oscar Health $927 380%
WellCare $247 101%
+ 1 smaller / regional plan $503
Government programs also on file: Medicaid.

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Insurance Before you use insurance

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Facility Profile & Credentials

  • Address: 7915 Farnam Drive, Omaha, NE 68114
  • CMS Rating: No CMS Rating
  • Ownership Type: Physician
  • Hospital Type: Acute Care Hospitals

Other Procedures at Midwest Surgical Hospital LLC

Compare: MRI, lower back (no contrast) at other NE hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.

Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at Midwest Surgical Hospital LLC (Zero PHI Required)

CMS CCN: 280131
CPT 72148
Fair BaseRate™ $407
Medicare Rate $244
Self-Pay Cash $500
Insurer Median $433
Pre-filled with Midwest Surgical Hospital LLC’s charged/list benchmark
Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines
2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person
Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $666 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $666

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $666).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Save $1,335 Paying Cash

Self-Pay Cash Rate ($500) Beats Your Bill

Midwest Surgical Hospital LLC's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $500 (vs. $433 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$1,428 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $407 Fair BaseRate ($244 Medicare)

Your bill ($1,835) is $1,428 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($407) and 7.5× the $244 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.
Care-Setting Arbitrage, Bilateral SVD Insurer Leverage & Regional Alternatives

How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings

45 CFR § 180 Primary-Source Lineage & Federal Verification Verified CMS CCN 280131

Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings

Download Official Hospital MRF ↗ Verify on CMS Medicare.gov (CCN 280131) ↗ CMS HCRIS Cost Reports ↗
Published MRF Filemrf
Publication / Vintage3/5/2026 · 24.39 MB
Validated Rate Rows270,122 (CMS v3.0.0)
File Integrity DigestVerified · CCN 280131

Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.

Submit MRF Update Correction Policy