Thoracic spine MRI cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 8 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye: from $568.48 to $1,263.50, with a median of $819.27. The lowest listed price is at New Orleans East Hospital — $250.79 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $871.02 at 13 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 3 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 Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans East Hospital lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $568.48 | $3,553.00 | $1,000.00–$491.33 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $606.10 | $2,755.00 | $1,001.17–$951.03 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $749.56 | $5,354.00 | $1,274.00–$997.45 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $767.52 | $4,797.00 | $1,273.00–$924.38 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $871.02 | $3,226.00 | $1,000.06–$913.28 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $1,263.50 | $9,025.00 | $1,805.00–$956.65 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $1,263.50 | $9,025.00 | $1,805.00–$956.65 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Middle Spinal Canal | $1,263.50 | $9,025.00 | $1,805.00–$956.65 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $568.48, median $819.27, highest $1,263.50 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 8 it is 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.