MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — inpatient
In Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, 21 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $223.34 to $3,241.00, with a median of $759.90. The lowest listed price is at Methodist Hospital.
Cash prices at 21 facilities across 18 cities for code 72148, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 29, 2026 and Jun 17, 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Hospital lowest St. Louis Park, MN MRI lumbar spine | $223.34 | $859.00 | 74% | — source file |
| Allina Health Systems Minneapolis, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO LIMITED | $410.50 | $855.20 | 52% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems Coon Rapids, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO LIMITED | $410.50 | $855.20 | 52% | Jun 17, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems Coon Rapids, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO | $547.30 | $1,140.20 | 52% | Jun 17, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems Minneapolis, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO | $547.30 | $1,140.20 | 52% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| North Memorial Health Care Robbinsdale, MN Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), spinal canal, lumbar | $741.49 | $1,407.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Maple Grove Hospital Corporation Maple Grove, MN Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), spinal canal, lumbar | $741.49 | $1,407.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Regions Hospital St. Paul, MN MRI lumbar spine | $752.70 | $2,895.00 | 74% | — source file |
| Fairview Bethesda Hospital St. Paul, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $759.90 | $1,895.00 | 60% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| HealthEast Woodwinds Hospital Woodbury, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $759.90 | $1,895.00 | 60% | Feb 5, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Health Services Princeton, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $759.90 | $1,895.00 | 60% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Health Services Edina, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $759.90 | $1,895.00 | 60% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Health Services Wyoming, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $759.90 | $1,895.00 | 60% | Feb 5, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Health Services Minneapolis, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $759.90 | $1,895.00 | 60% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| HealthEast St John's Hospital Maplewood, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $759.90 | $1,895.00 | 60% | Feb 5, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Health Services Burnsville, MN HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $805.38 | $1,895.00 | 57% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| Hudson Hospital Hudson, WI MRI lumbar spine | $1,207.14 | $2,676.00 | 55% | — source file |
| Lakeview Hospital Stillwater, MN MRI lumbar spine | $1,219.15 | $3,295.00 | 63% | — source file |
| Allina Health Systems Buffalo, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO LIMITED | $1,240.46 | $2,215.10 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems River Falls, WI HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO LIMITED | $1,240.46 | $2,215.10 | 44% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems Cambridge, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO LIMITED | $1,240.46 | $2,215.10 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems Cambridge, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO | $1,386.00 | $2,475.00 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems River Falls, WI HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO | $1,386.00 | $2,475.00 | 44% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems Buffalo, MN HCHG RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO | $1,386.00 | $2,475.00 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Westfields Hospital New Richmond, WI MRI lumbar spine | $1,684.78 | $3,203.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Childrens Health Care Minneapolis, MN MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO CONT- RAD | $3,241.00 | $3,241.00 | — | May 7, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Health Care Minneapolis, MN MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO CONT | $3,241.00 | $3,241.00 | — | May 7, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $223.34, median $759.90, highest $3,241.00 — a 14.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 21 facilities here, median $759.90 — 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.
3 rows held back from this comparison
They are 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.
| Fairview Health Services Edina, MNAS MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $30.41 | file |
| HealthEast St John's Hospital Maplewood, MNAS MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $64.83 | file |
| Fairview Health Services Minneapolis, MNAS MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $99.07 | file |