Scans and imaging CPT 72148 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Lower back MRI cost in Sidney, MT — inpatient

In Sidney, MT, 1 hospital lists a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $424.78 to $424.78, with a median of $424.78. Across Montana, the median is $2,039.93 at 12 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility for code 72148, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 30, 2026 and Apr 30, 2026.

Lowest$424.78Sidney Health Center
Median$424.78half pay less
Highest$424.78in this market
Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Sidney, MT.

median
Lowest $424.78Highest $876.79

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Sidney Health Center lowest Sidney, MT · (406) 488-2100 PFR 72148 MRI L SPINE WO CONT $424.78 $686.00 $179.20–$651.70 38% Apr 30, 2026
source file
Sidney Health Center Sidney, MT · (406) 488-2100 MRI L SPINE WO CONTRAST $876.79 $1,416.00 $1,288.56–$1,416.00 38% Apr 30, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $424.78, median $424.78, highest $424.78.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $424.78 — 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 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.