Thoracic spine MRI cost in Columbia, SC
In Columbia, SC, 3 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye: from $1,003.00 to $1,946.00, with a median of $1,003.00. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast and 1 other hospital. Across South Carolina, the median is $2,960.00 at 19 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Columbia, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast lowest Columbia, SC HB MRI T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,003.00 | $2,006.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown lowest Columbia, SC · (803) 256-5300 HB MRI T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,003.00 | $2,006.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kershaw Medical Center Camden, SC · (803) 432-4311 HB MRI T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,946.00 | $3,892.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,003.00, median $1,003.00, highest $1,946.00 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $1,003.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.