Thoracic spine MRI cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 8 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $2,326.50 to $3,201.75, with a median of $2,796.88. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $470.38 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $2,665.50 at 99 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 cities for code 72146, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Mri Scan Of Middle Spinal Canal | $2,326.50 | $4,230.00 | $163.62–$5,710.50 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 MRI SPINAL CANAL THORACIC W/O CONTRAST MATRL | $2,392.00 | $4,600.00 | $220.00–$655.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 MRI SPINAL CANAL THORACIC W/O CONTRAST MATRL | $2,392.00 | $4,600.00 | $220.00–$655.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA MRI SPINAL CANAL THORACIC W/O CONTRAST MATRL | $2,392.00 | $4,600.00 | $220.00–$655.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC MRI DORSAL SPINE - MRI COMPLETE SPINE WO CONTRAST | $3,201.75 | $4,269.00 | $1,195.32–$3,842.10 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC MRI DORSAL SPINE - MRI COMPLETE SPINE WO CONTRAST | $3,201.75 | $4,269.00 | $114.85–$4,484.02 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC MRI DORSAL SPINE - MRI COMPLETE SPINE WO CONTRAST | $3,201.75 | $4,269.00 | $640.35–$4,183.62 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC MRI DORSAL SPINE - MRI COMPLETE SPINE WO CONTRAST | $3,201.75 | $4,269.00 | $1,195.32–$3,201.75 | 25% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $2,326.50, median $2,796.88, highest $3,201.75 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $2,392.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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 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.