Thoracic spine MRI cost in Kansas City, MO — inpatient
In Kansas City, MO-KS, 4 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $500.00 to $4,032.52, with a median of $2,357.01. The lowest listed price is at Mish — $1,857.01 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $1,742.00 at 24 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 72146, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 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 Kansas City, MO-KS.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mish lowest Lenexa, KS MRI Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast | $500.00 | $4,500.00 | — | 89% | — source file |
| NKC Health North Kansas City, MO · (816) 691-2000 MR Thoracic Spine wo Contrast | $681.50 | $2,350.00 | $1,410.00–$1,922.30 | 71% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Shawnee Mission, KS · (913) 676-2152 HC MRI, DORSAL SPINE | $4,032.52 | $4,032.52 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth South Overland Park Overland Park, KS · (913) 373-2000 HC MRI, DORSAL SPINE | $4,032.52 | $4,032.52 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $500.00, median $2,357.01, highest $4,032.52 — a 8.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $681.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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 and 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.