Thoracic spine MRI cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 8 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $429.59 to $3,329.28, with a median of $2,336.84. The lowest listed price is at Gateway Regional Medical Center — $1,907.25 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $1,742.00 at 24 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 8 cities for code 72146, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 16, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway Regional Medical Center lowest Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 MR-THOR SPINE WO | $429.59 | $715.99 | $715.99 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South Louis, MO MRI THORACIC WO CONTRAST | $786.04 | $786.04 | $786.04 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 MRI Spine Thoracic w/o Contrast | $2,285.36 | $2,856.70 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis Chesterfield, MO MRI THORACIC WO CONTRAST | $2,335.12 | $2,335.12 | $2,335.12 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC MRI T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,338.56 | $3,248.00 | $204.35–$3,248.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC MRI T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,099.60 | $4,305.00 | $209.13–$4,305.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC MRI T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,178.08 | $4,414.00 | $219.59–$4,414.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC MRI T-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,329.28 | $4,624.00 | $486.73–$4,624.00 | 28% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $429.59, median $2,336.84, highest $3,329.28 — a 7.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $2,135.56 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 7 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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.