MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $2,825.25 to $6,147.00, with a median of $3,700.30. The lowest listed price is at El Camino 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 Mar 31, 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Camino Hospital lowest Mountain View, CA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,825.25 | $11,301.00 | 75% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Jose San Jose, CA MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $3,281.60 | $5,860.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Santa Clara Santa Clara, CA MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $3,281.60 | $5,860.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Palo Alto, CA HC MRI Spine Lumbar WO Cont Limited | $4,119.00 | $8,238.00 | 50% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA MRI L-Spine WO Contrast | $4,407.60 | $11,019.00 | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Palo Alto, CA HC MRI L Spine WO Contrast | $6,147.00 | $12,294.00 | 50% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,825.25, median $3,700.30, highest $6,147.00 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $3,281.60. 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.