Lower back MRI cost in Atlanta, GA
In Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, 36 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $238.00 to $5,906.00, with a median of $1,775.67. The lowest listed price is at Southern Regional Medical Center — $1,537.67 less than the median here. Across Georgia, the median is $1,713.00 at 89 hospitals.
- The median here, $1,775.67, is 7% below the US median of $1,903.81.
- That is 7.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($243.77).
- 11 of 36 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 36 facilities across 26 cities for code 72148, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 30, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 17, 2026 and Aug 6, 2026.
Lowest$238.00Southern Regional Medical Center
Median$1,775.67half of hospitals charge less
Highest$5,906.00in this market
Difference24.8×highest vs lowest
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA.
median
Lowest $238.00Highest $6,164.00
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Regional Medical Center lowest Southwest Riverdale, GA · (770) 991-8160 Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine File of Mar 17, 2026 · source file | $238.00 | $4,072.74 | $222.14–$4,072.74 | 94% |
| Higgins General Hospital Bremen, GA · (770) 812-2000 MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $1,648.80 | $4,122.00 | — | 60% |
| Willowbrooke at Tanner Villa Rica, GA · (770) 456-3101 MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $1,648.80 | $4,122.00 | $238.15–$261.96 | 60% |
| Tanner Medical Center - Villa Rica Villa Rica, GA · (770) 456-3101 MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $1,648.80 | $4,122.00 | $238.15–$285.78 | 60% |
| Tanner Medical Center - Carrollton Carrollton, GA · (770) 836-9580 MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL WITHOUT CONTRAST File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $1,648.80 | $4,122.00 | $238.15–$261.96 | 60% |
| Piedmont Newnan Newnan, GA · (770) 400-2300 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $537.17–$5,303.23 | 70% |
| Piedmont Henry Stockbridge, GA · (678) 604-1000 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $483.56–$4,847.04 | 70% |
| Piedmont Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (404) 605-5000 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $583.68–$4,847.04 | 70% |
| Piedmont Fayette Fayetteville, GA · (770) 719-7000 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $525.19–$4,847.04 | 70% |
| Piedmont Walton Monroe, GA · (770) 267-8461 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $511.51–$5,132.16 | 70% |
| Piedmont Mountainside Jasper, GA · (706) 692-2441 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $583.68–$4,847.04 | 70% |
| Piedmont Newton Covington, GA · (770) 786-7053 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $557.12–$4,847.04 | 70% |
| Piedmont Rockdale Conyers, GA · (770) 918-3000 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $347.23–$4,276.80 | 70% |
| Piedmont Eastside Snellville, GA · (770) 979-0200 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,710.72 | $5,702.40 | $583.68–$5,132.16 | 70% |
| Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Marietta, GA · (770) 793-5000 Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar North Fulton Hospital Roswell, GA · (770) 751-2500 Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar Paulding Hospital Hiram, GA · (470) 644-7000 Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar Cobb Hospital Austell, GA · (770) 732-4000 Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar Sylvan Grove Hospital Jackson, GA · (770) 775-7861 Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital Marietta, GA Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital Griffin, GA · (770) 228-2721 Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar Roosevelt Long Term Acute Care At Warm Sp Warm Springs, GA Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Wellstar Douglas Hospital Douglasville, GA · (770) 949-1500 Hc Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,775.67 | $4,553.00 | — | 61% |
| Emory Decatur Hospital Decatur, GA · (404) 501-1000 Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,837.00 | $1,837.00 | — | — |
| Emory Johns Creek Hospital Johns Creek, GA · (678) 474-7000 Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,837.00 | $1,837.00 | — | — |
| DeKalb Medical at Decatur Decatur, GA Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,837.00 | $1,837.00 | — | — |
| Emory University Hospital Midtown Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-2450 Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,837.00 | $1,837.00 | — | — |
| Saint Josephs Hospital of Atlanta Atlanta, GA · (678) 843-7001 Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,837.00 | $1,837.00 | — | — |
| Emory Hillandale Hospital Lithonia, GA · (404) 501-8040 Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,837.00 | $1,837.00 | — | — |
| Emory University Hospital Atlanta, GA · (404) 686-8500 Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,837.00 | $1,837.00 | — | — |
| Piedmont Cartersville Cartersville, GA · (470) 490-1000 HC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $1,918.89 | $6,396.30 | $583.68–$5,756.67 | 70% |
| Shepherd Center Northwest Atlanta, GA HC MRI LUMB SPINE WO CNTRST File of Aug 6, 2026 · source file | $2,269.50 | $4,539.00 | $1,361.70–$4,085.10 | 50% |
| Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Atlanta, GA · (404) 785-5252 MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal W/O Contrast+1 more line at this price File of May 14, 2026 · source file | $3,658.00 | $3,658.00 | — | — |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – Arthur M. Blank Atlanta, GA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal W/O Contrast+1 more line at this price File of May 14, 2026 · source file | $3,658.00 | $3,658.00 | — | — |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – Meridian Mark Atlanta, GA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal W/O Contrast+1 more line at this price File of May 14, 2026 · source file | $3,658.00 | $3,658.00 | — | — |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – Hughes Spalding Atlanta, GA MRI Lumbar Spine W O Dye File of May 14, 2026 · source file | $5,906.00 | $5,906.00 | $1,359.32–$4,021.40 | — |
| Children's Healthcare of Atlanta – Hughes Spalding Atlanta, GA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal W/O Contrast+1 more line at this price File of May 14, 2026 · source file | $6,164.00 | $6,164.00 | $1,418.82–$4,197.07 | — |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Outpatient: lowest $238.00, median $1,775.67, highest $5,906.00 — a 24.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 27 facilities here, median $1,775.67. 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 12 of 16 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 lower back MRI is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lower back MRI explained.