MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in Traverse City, MI
In Traverse City, MI, 3 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $602.65 to $2,468.40, with a median of $2,360.45. The lowest listed price is at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 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 17, 2026 and Apr 17, 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 Traverse City, MI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska Memorial Health Center lowest Kalkaska, MI MRI INCOMPLETE LUMBAR SPINE | $602.65 | $709.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital Frankfort, MI MRI INCOMPLETE LUMBAR SPINE | $2,184.50 | $2,570.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital Frankfort, MI MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,295.85 | $2,701.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital Frankfort, MI MR Exams | $2,295.85 | $2,701.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Kalkaska Memorial Health Center Kalkaska, MI MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,360.45 | $2,777.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Kalkaska Memorial Health Center Kalkaska, MI MR Exams | $2,360.45 | $2,777.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI MR Exams | $2,468.40 | $2,904.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI MRI INCOMPLETE LUMBAR SPINE | $2,468.40 | $2,904.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Munson Medical Center Traverse City, MI MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $2,468.40 | $2,904.00 | 15% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $602.65, median $2,360.45, highest $2,468.40 — a 4.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $2,360.45. 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.