MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 16 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $1,341.96 to $2,783.96, with a median of $2,110.00. The lowest listed price is at Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Inc..
Cash prices at 16 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 Nov 21, 2025 and Mar 23, 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Inc. lowest Milwaukee, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - Southeast Wisconsin Inc Franklin, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - Southeast Wisconsin Inc Franklin, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Inc. Milwaukee, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital, Inc. Franklin, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital, Inc. Franklin, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital, Inc. Milwaukee, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital, Inc. Milwaukee, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $1,341.96 | $2,532.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc. Milwaukee, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,067.00 | $3,900.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc. Milwaukee, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,067.00 | $3,900.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee, Inc. Mequon, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,067.00 | $3,900.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee, Inc. Mequon, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,067.00 | $3,900.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Aurora West Allis Medical Center West Allis, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Kenosha Kenosha, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Sinai Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Inc Milwaukee, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Inc Milwaukee, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Inc Milwaukee, WI MR LUMBAR SPINE LTD WITHOUT DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes South Shore of Aurora Health Care Metro Inc Cudahy, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora West Allis Medical Center West Allis, WI MR LUMBAR SPINE LTD WITHOUT DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Grafton Grafton, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Summit Summit, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Washington County Hartford, WI MR L SPINE WO DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Kenosha Kenosha, WI MR LUMBAR SPINE LTD WITHOUT DYE | $2,110.00 | $4,220.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. Mequon, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,158.16 | $4,072.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Institute, Inc. Mequon, WI HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,158.16 | $4,072.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI HBC LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,783.96 | $5,061.75 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI HBC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,783.96 | $5,061.75 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI HBC LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,783.96 | $5,061.75 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI HBC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CONTRAST | $2,783.96 | $5,061.75 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,341.96, median $2,110.00, highest $2,783.96 — a 2.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $2,110.00. 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.