Thoracic spine MRI cost in Dubuque, IA — inpatient
In Dubuque, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $523.20 to $2,915.90, with a median of $1,719.55. The lowest listed price is at The Finley Hospital — $1,196.35 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $1,741.80 at 36 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 72146, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Dubuque, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Finley Hospital lowest Dubuque, IA · (563) 582-1881 PR MRI, DORSAL SPINE | $523.20 | $654.00 | $174.42–$715.70 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| The Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA · (563) 582-1881 HC MRI SPINE THORACIC WO CONTRAST | $1,595.87 | $1,994.83 | $1,053.27–$1,595.86 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque Dubuque, IA · (563) 589-8000 HC MRI Thoracic Spine W/O Contrast | $2,915.90 | $4,486.00 | $214.06–$4,486.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $523.20, median $1,719.55, highest $2,915.90 — a 5.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,719.55 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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.