MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Cleveland, OH
In Cleveland, OH, 14 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $1,021.30 to $2,344.50, with a median of $1,084.20. The lowest listed price is at Metrohealth System.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 11 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 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 Cleveland, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metrohealth System lowest Cleveland, OH Hc Mri Lumbar Spine Wo/Contrast | $1,021.30 | $2,918.00 | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital Avon, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cleveland, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Cleveland Clinic Health System - East Region Euclid, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Hospital Cleveland, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Cleveland Clinic Health System - East Region Mayfield Heights, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Lutheran Hospital Cleveland, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Marymount Hospital INC Garfield Heights, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Medina Hospital Medina, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Cleveland Clinic Health System - East Region Warrensville Heights, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Lodi Community Hospital Lodi, OH MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $1,084.20 | $1,668.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Allen Hospital LLC Oberlin, OH HC MRI-Spine Lumbar WO Contrast | $1,108.20 | $1,847.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Southwest General Health Center Middleburg Heights, OH MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONT | $2,152.50 | $2,870.00 | 25% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Summa Health System Akron, OH Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine - Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Contrast | $2,344.50 | $2,344.50 | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,021.30, median $1,084.20, highest $2,344.50 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $1,084.20. 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 72148 ($1,646.40). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Metrohealth System Cleveland, OHMagnetic Image, Lumbar Spine. 072148 | $150.85 | file |