MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Portland-South Portland, ME
In Portland-South Portland, ME, 5 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $827.00 to $3,047.85, with a median of $1,848.60. The lowest listed price is at Bridgton Hospital.
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 Sep 9, 2025 and Apr 29, 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 Portland-South Portland, ME.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgton Hospital lowest Bridgton, ME HC MRI, LUMBAR SPINE | $827.00 | $2,668.44 | 69% | Apr 29, 2026 source file |
| MaineHealth Brunswick, ME HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,293.45 | $1,293.45 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| MaineHealth Portland, ME HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $1,848.60 | $1,848.60 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
| York Hospital York, ME MRI L/SPINE W/O GAD 72148 | $1,874.40 | $3,124.00 | 40% | — source file |
| MaineHealth Biddeford, ME HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,047.85 | $3,047.85 | — | Sep 9, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $827.00, median $1,848.60, highest $3,047.85 — a 3.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $1,861.50. 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.