MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 8 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $403.04 to $6,654.80, with a median of $1,587.25. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center South.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 cities for code 72148, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA HC Chg MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $403.04 | $895.64 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA HC Chg MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $449.36 | $998.58 | 55% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA HC MRI Spine Lumbar WO Contr | $1,141.70 | $1,631.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA HC MRI Spine Lumbar WO Contr | $1,381.10 | $1,973.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA HC MRI Spine Lumbar WO Contr | $1,793.40 | $2,562.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA HC Chg MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $1,815.30 | $4,034.00 | 55% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA HC MRI - Lumbar Spine | $2,467.00 | $2,467.00 | — | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Boston Boston, MA MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $6,654.80 | $6,654.80 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $403.04, median $1,587.25, highest $6,654.80 — a 16.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $1,381.10. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
What it is
An MRI of the lower back uses a magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures of the lumbar spine, including discs, nerves and the spinal canal. It is commonly ordered for back pain that spreads down the leg, numbness or weakness. No contrast dye is used.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan. The radiologist's interpretation is often billed separately.