Thoracic spine MRI cost in Bay City, MI
In Bay City, MI, 1 hospital lists a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye: from $793.85 to $793.85, with a median of $793.85. Across Michigan, the median is $1,426.00 at 57 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 72146, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 31, 2025 and Dec 31, 2025.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren Bay Region Bay City, MI · (989) 894-9510 MRI Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast | $793.85 | $1,587.70 | $132.22–$1,296.52 | 50% | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $793.85, median $793.85, highest $793.85.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 72146 ($1,673.76). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| McLaren Bay Region Bay City, MIMRI Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast - Report | $95.90 | file |