Scans and imaging CPT 72148 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — inpatient

In Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, 11 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $582.60 to $18,084.84, with a median of $582.60. The lowest listed price is at Carmel AmbSurg.

Cash prices at 11 facilities across 6 cities for code 72148, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.

Lowest$582.60Carmel AmbSurg

Median$582.60half pay less

Highest$18,084.84in this market

Difference31.0×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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN.

median

Lowest $582.60Highest $18,084.84

Hospitals, cheapest first

Hospital	Cash price	List price	Off list	File date
Carmel AmbSurg lowest Carmel, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
Endo Surgery Center Carmel, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
St. Vincent Fishers Hospital, Inc. Fishers, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
St. Vincent Anderson Regional Hospital, Inc. Anderson, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, Inc. Carmel, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
St. Vincent Carmel Hospital, Inc. Carmel, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
Naab Road Surgery Center Indianapolis, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana LLC Carmel, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
St. Vincent Fishers Hospital, Inc. Fishers, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$582.60	$971.00	40%	— source file
Riverview Health Noblesville, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONT	$1,296.00	$2,160.00	40%	— source file
St. Vincent Madison County Health System, Inc. Elwood, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$1,791.60	$2,986.00	40%	— source file
Eskenazi Health Indianapolis, IN HC MRI Spine Lumbar W/O Cont	$1,980.90	$2,201.00	10%	— source file
Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital LLC Indianapolis, IN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/C	$18,084.84	$40,901.28	56%	— source file

Inpatient: lowest $582.60, median $582.60, highest $18,084.84 — a 31.0× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $582.60 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

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.