MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $292.00 to $5,308.70, with a median of $1,308.10. The lowest listed price is at Seattle Children's Hospital.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 11 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 Feb 28, 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Children's Hospital lowest Seattle, WA MRI, Lumbar Spine | $292.00 | $292.00 | — | — source file |
| Swedish Health Services Seattle, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $518.88 | $1,081.00 | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Health Services Seattle, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $518.88 | $1,081.00 | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Health Services Issaquah, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $518.88 | $1,081.00 | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA Hc Mri Lumbar Spine Wo Con | $979.00 | $1,958.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Health Services Issaquah, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,057.44 | $2,203.00 | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Health Services Seattle, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,057.44 | $2,203.00 | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Health Services Seattle, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,057.44 | $2,203.00 | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA MRI LUMBAR SPINE | $1,098.03 | $2,153.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast - Haste | $1,125.20 | $1,125.20 | — | — source file |
| Providence Health And Services - Washington Everett, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $1,139.32 | $2,191.00 | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Health And Services - Washington Everett, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE LIMITED | $1,139.32 | $2,191.00 | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA MRI Lumbar Spine Limited | $1,308.10 | $1,308.10 | — | — source file |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $1,971.40 | $6,839.41 | 71% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Franciscan Health System Gig Harbor, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,080.20 | $6,839.41 | 70% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Highline Medical Center Burien, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,088.46 | $6,839.41 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,146.37 | $6,839.41 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Franciscan Health System Tacoma, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,265.20 | $6,839.41 | 67% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Public Hospital Dist No 1 Skagit dba Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA HC LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,360.00 | $2,950.00 | 20% | — source file |
| Enumclaw Regional Hospital Association Enumclaw, WA HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO CON | $2,416.81 | $6,839.41 | 65% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA MRI Spine Lumbar W/O Contrast - Ltd | $2,812.20 | $2,812.20 | — | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA MRI Spine Lumbar W/O Contrast - Ltd - Component | $3,235.90 | $3,235.90 | — | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast - Component | $3,310.10 | $3,310.10 | — | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $4,939.80 | $4,939.80 | — | — source file |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA MRI Lumbar Myelogram | $5,308.70 | $5,308.70 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $292.00, median $1,308.10, highest $5,308.70 — a 18.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $1,971.40. 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.