MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $288.83 to $1,656.00, with a median of $380.47. The lowest listed price is at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center.
Cash prices at 5 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center lowest Camp Hill, PA 72148 MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE Tech | $288.83 | $1,209.00 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA 72148 MRI L SPINE W/WO CONTRAST Tech | $288.83 | $1,209.00 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA 72148 MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE WKC TECH | $288.83 | $1,209.00 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA 72148 MRI L SPINE W/WO CONTRAST Tech | $380.47 | $1,209.00 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA 72148 MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE Tech | $380.47 | $1,209.00 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA MRI* L SPINE W/WO CONTRAST | $400.54 | $1,209.00 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA MRI Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast - Report | $400.54 | $1,209.00 | 67% | — source file |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals Harrisburg, PA HC MRI Lumbar W/O Contrast | $1,656.00 | $2,760.00 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Carlisle Carlisle, PA HC MRI Lumbar W/O Contrast | $1,656.00 | $2,760.00 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $288.83, median $380.47, highest $1,656.00 — a 5.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $380.47. 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.