Thoracic spine MRI cost in Portland, OR
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, 15 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye: from $1,259.70 to $6,252.60, with a median of $1,284.00. The lowest listed price is at Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center and 3 other hospitals — $24.30 less than the median here. Across Oregon, the median is $1,815.88 at 38 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 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 Mar 23, 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Meridian Park Medical Center lowest Tualatin, OR · (503) 692-1212 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,259.70 | $1,938.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center lowest Portland, OR · (503) 413-2200 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,259.70 | $1,938.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center lowest Portland, OR · (503) 413-2200 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,259.70 | $1,938.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Emanuel Medical Center lowest Portland, OR · (503) 413-2200 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,259.70 | $1,938.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center lowest Gresham, OR · (503) 674-1122 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,259.70 | $1,938.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center lowest Portland, OR · (503) 413-7682 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,259.70 | $1,938.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center lowest Portland, OR · (503) 413-7682 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,259.70 | $1,938.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Portland Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 215-1111 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Milwaukie Hospital Milwaukie, OR · (503) 513-8300 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center Oregon City, OR · (503) 656-1631 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Milwaukie Hospital Milwaukie, OR · (503) 513-8300 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Newberg Medical Center Newberg, OR · (503) 537-1555 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Newberg Medical Center Newberg, OR · (503) 537-1555 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center Oregon City, OR · (503) 656-1631 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Portland Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 215-1111 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Portland Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 215-1111 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Portland Medical Center Portland, OR · (503) 215-1111 HC MRI THORACIC SPINE W/O DYE | $1,284.00 | $1,712.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center Vancouver, WA · (360) 487-1000 HC MR SPINE THORACIC WITHOUT CONTRAST | $1,383.85 | $2,129.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Oregon Health & Science University Portland, OR · (503) 494-9000 HB MR Spine Thracic WO Contras | $1,855.75 | $2,855.00 | $214.35–$2,855.00 | 35% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Westside Hillsboro, OR · (971) 310-0100 MRI SPINAL CANAL THORACIC W/O CONTRAST MATRL | $2,065.50 | $2,430.00 | $401.00–$1,295.00 | 15% | — source file |
| Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center Clackamas, OR · (503) 652-2880 MRI SPINAL CANAL THORACIC W/O CONTRAST MATRL | $2,065.50 | $2,430.00 | $401.00–$1,295.00 | 15% | — source file |
| PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver, WA · (360) 256-2000 MRI SCAN OF MIDDLE SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST | $2,225.60 | $3,424.00 | $105.83–$858.43 | 35% | — source file |
| PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Vancouver, WA · (360) 256-2000 MRI CHEST SPINE W/O DYE | $2,292.55 | $3,527.00 | $105.83–$858.43 | 35% | — source file |
| Tuality Healthcare Hillsboro, OR · (503) 681-1111 HB MR Spine Thracic WO Contras | $2,327.00 | $3,580.00 | $142.73–$3,580.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Portland Portland, OR · (541) 241-5090 MRI CHEST SPINE W/O DYE | $6,252.60 | $6,252.60 | $209.71–$923.69 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,259.70, median $1,284.00, highest $6,252.60 — a 5.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $1,284.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 6 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.