Thoracic spine MRI cost in Worcester, MA
In Worcester, MA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the mid back (thoracic spine), no contrast dye: from $2,335.00 to $3,774.00, with a median of $3,375.50. The lowest listed price is at UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital — $1,040.50 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $2,312.47 at 17 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 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 26, 2026 and Apr 3, 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 Worcester, MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass Memorial Health - Harrington Hospital lowest Southbridge, MA · (508) 765-9771 HC MRI Thoracic Spine W/O Contrast | $2,335.00 | $2,335.00 | — | — | Apr 3, 2026 source file |
| Milford Regional Medical Center Milford, MA · (508) 473-1190 Mri chest spine w/o dye | $2,988.00 | $2,988.00 | $255.69–$10,491.49 | — | — source file |
| Milford Regional Medical Center Milford, MA · (508) 473-1190 Mri Thoracic Spine W/O Contr | $2,988.00 | $2,988.00 | $2,988.00 | — | — source file |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center Worcester, MA · (508) 334-1000 HC MRI Thoracic Spine W/O Contrast | $3,763.00 | $3,763.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital Leominster, MA · (978) 466-2000 HC MRI Thoracic Spine W/O Contrast | $3,774.00 | $3,774.00 | — | — | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,335.00, median $3,375.50, highest $3,774.00 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $3,375.50. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.