Lower back MRI cost in Shreveport, LA — inpatient
In Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $3,380.80 to $5,639.76, with a median of $4,510.28. The lowest listed price is at Willis Knighton Medical Center — $1,129.48 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $1,263.50 at 35 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 72148, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Aug 6, 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 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willis Knighton Medical Center lowest Shreveport, LA · (318) 212-4000 Mri Lumbar Spine W/O Cst | $3,380.80 | $4,226.00 | — | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Shreveport Shreveport, LA · (318) 675-5058 MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Dye | $5,639.76 | $5,639.76 | $3,947.83–$4,793.80 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $3,380.80, median $4,510.28, highest $5,639.76 — a 1.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $3,380.80 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.