MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Rochester, NY
In Rochester, NY, 8 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $283.22 to $1,675.35, with a median of $981.20. The lowest listed price is at Strong Memorial Hospital.
Cash prices at 8 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Rochester, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Memorial Hospital lowest Rochester, NY Mri lumbar spine w/o dye | $283.22 | — | — | — source file |
| Highland Hospital Rochester, NY Mri lumbar spine w/o dye | $283.22 | — | — | — source file |
| Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital Dansville, NY HB MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $358.00 | — | — | — source file |
| F.F. Thompson Hospital Canandaigua, NY HB MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $592.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Clifton Springs Hospital And Clinic Clifton Springs, NY HC MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO CONTRAST | $956.04 | $1,470.83 | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rochester General Hospital Rochester, NY HC MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO CONTRAST | $1,006.36 | $1,548.25 | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Newark-Wayne Community Hospital Newark, NY HC MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO CONTRAST | $1,006.36 | $1,548.25 | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Unity Hospital of Rochester Rochester, NY HC MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO CONTRAST | $1,307.22 | $1,634.02 | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Strong Memorial Hospital Rochester, NY HB MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $1,675.35 | — | — | — source file |
| Highland Hospital Rochester, NY HB MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $1,675.35 | — | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $283.22, median $981.20, highest $1,675.35 — a 5.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $1,006.36. 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.