MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, 10 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $827.50 to $5,794.50, with a median of $2,511.29. The lowest listed price is at MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 9 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 Dec 5, 2025 and Sep 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center lowest Chester, SC HB MRI L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $827.50 | $1,655.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL Mooresville, NC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst | $1,271.43 | $4,709.00 | 73% | — source file |
| DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL Mooresville, NC HC MRI LUMB SPINE WO CNTRST | $1,271.43 | $4,709.00 | 73% | — source file |
| DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL Mooresville, NC MRI Lumb Spine WO Cntrst | $1,271.43 | $4,709.00 | 73% | — source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Belmont, NC HC MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,013.08 | $4,026.15 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte, NC HC MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $2,013.08 | $4,026.15 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, SC HB MRI L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,009.50 | $6,019.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Gastonia, NC HCHG MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONT | $5,275.00 | $5,275.00 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC HCHG MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONT | $5,275.00 | $5,275.00 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC HCHG MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONT | $5,275.00 | $5,275.00 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Amisub of South Carolina, Inc. Fort Mill, SC MRI SPINE LUMBAR W/O CM | $5,794.50 | $7,726.00 | 25% | Apr 15, 2026 source file |
| Amisub of South Carolina, Inc. Rock Hill, SC MRI SPINE LUMBAR W/O CM | $5,794.50 | $7,726.00 | 25% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $827.50, median $2,511.29, highest $5,794.50 — a 7.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $3,009.50. 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.