Lower back MRI cost in Saginaw, MI — inpatient
In Saginaw, MI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $622.30 to $1,873.20, with a median of $1,247.75. The lowest listed price is at Covenant Medical Center — $625.45 less than the median here. Across Michigan, the median is $1,539.80 at 79 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 72148, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between May 15, 2026 and May 15, 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 Saginaw, MI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covenant Medical Center lowest Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $622.30 | $889.00 | $179.95–$800.10 | 30% | May 15, 2026 source file |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG MRI SPINE LUMBAR/SACRUM WO CONT | $1,873.20 | $2,676.00 | $1,204.20–$2,408.40 | 30% | May 15, 2026 source file |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG MRI SPINE LUMBAR/SACRUM WO CONT | $1,873.20 | $2,676.00 | $1,204.20–$2,408.40 | 30% | May 15, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $622.30, median $1,247.75, highest $1,873.20 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,247.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
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.