MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in St. Louis, MO-IL
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $429.59 to $5,395.20, with a median of $2,072.20. The lowest listed price is at American Healthcare Systems Illinois LLC — $1,642.61 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $1,862.90 at 25 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 10 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 24, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Healthcare Systems Illinois LLC lowest Granite City, IL MR-LUMB SPINE WO | $429.59 | $715.99 | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO MRI Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $1,370.20 | $2,108.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO MRI Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $1,643.20 | $2,528.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities dba Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO MRI Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $1,882.40 | $2,896.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO MRI Spine Lumbar w/o Contrast | $1,974.72 | $2,468.40 | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO MRI Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $2,003.30 | $3,082.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospitals East Communities dba Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO MRI Lumbar Spine WO Cont | $2,141.10 | $3,294.00 | 35% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL HC MRI L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,338.56 | $3,248.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL HC MRI L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,121.92 | $4,336.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Inc Greenville, IL HC MRI L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,201.12 | $4,446.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL HC MRI L-SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $3,208.32 | $4,456.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $5,395.20 | $5,395.20 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $429.59, median $2,072.20, highest $5,395.20 — a 12.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $2,698.04. 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.