Thoracic spine MRI cost in Austin, TX — inpatient
In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 13 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $902.88 to $2,678.66, with a median of $2,192.54. The lowest listed price is at Ascension Seton — $1,289.66 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $2,034.41 at 98 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 cities for code 72146, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 2026 and Jun 13, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Seton lowest Luling, TX · (830) 875-7000 MR T SPN CANL WO | $902.88 | $2,508.00 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 MR T SPN CANL WO | $1,210.86 | $3,363.50 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 MR T SPN CANL WO PEDI | $1,242.99 | $3,452.75 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 MR T SPN CANL WO PEDI | $1,242.99 | $3,452.75 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR T SPN CANL WO | $1,271.34 | $3,531.50 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR T SPN CANL WO | $1,271.34 | $3,531.50 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR T SPN CANL WO | $1,271.34 | $3,531.50 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 MR T SPN CANL WO | $1,271.34 | $3,531.50 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR T SPN CANL WO | $1,271.34 | $3,531.50 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 64% | — source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC MRI SPINE THORACIC W/O CONTRA | $2,192.54 | $3,654.23 | $2,009.83–$3,288.81 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC MRI SPINE THORACIC W/O CONTRA | $2,192.54 | $3,654.23 | $2,009.83–$2,375.25 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC MRI SPINE THORACIC W/O CONTRA | $2,192.54 | $3,654.23 | $2,009.83–$2,923.38 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC MRI SPINE THORACIC W/O CONTRA | $2,192.54 | $3,654.23 | $2,009.83–$3,288.81 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC MRI SPINE THORACIC W/O CONTRA | $2,192.54 | $3,654.23 | $2,009.83–$2,557.96 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC MRI SPINE THORACIC W/O CONTRA | $2,192.54 | $3,654.23 | $2,009.83–$2,557.96 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC MRI SPINE THORACIC W/O CONTRA | $2,192.54 | $3,654.23 | $2,009.83–$3,288.81 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Ascension Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX · (512) 528-7000 MR-THOR SPINE WO | $2,198.29 | $6,106.37 | $156.48–$2,747.87 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR T SPN CANL WO PEDI | $2,416.93 | $3,452.75 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR T SPN CANL WO | $2,472.05 | $3,531.50 | $156.48–$1,969.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC MR, SPINE THORACIC WO/CONTRAST | $2,678.66 | $3,998.00 | $1,599.20–$3,798.10 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $902.88, median $2,192.54, highest $2,678.66 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $2,192.54 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 13 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
An MRI of the thoracic spine makes detailed pictures of the middle section of the spine, between the neck and the lower back, including discs, vertebrae and the spinal cord. It is ordered for mid-back pain, suspected fractures or nerve symptoms. No contrast dye is used.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan of the mid-back section only. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.