Scans and imaging CPT 72156 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Neck MRI with contrast cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient

In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the neck (cervical spine) without and with contrast as an inpatient: from $784.28 to $1,404.52, with a median of $1,043.90. The lowest listed price is at Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner — $259.62 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $1,600.00 at 51 hospitals.

Cash prices at 5 facilities across 5 cities for code 72156, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.

Lowest$784.28Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner
Median$1,043.90half pay less
Highest$1,404.52in this market
Difference1.8×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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.

median
Lowest $784.28Highest $1,404.52

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner lowest Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC MRI SPINE CERVICAL W/WO CONTR $784.28 $2,801.00 — 72% —
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St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC MRI SPINE CERVICAL W/WO CONTR $977.92 $3,056.00 — 68% —
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Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC MRI SPINE CERVICAL W/WO CONTR $1,043.90 $4,745.00 — 78% —
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St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC MRI SPINE CERVICAL W/WO CONTR $1,247.94 $4,622.00 — 73% —
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The Ochsner West Campus Extended Care Hospital Jefferson, LA HC MRI SPINE CERVICAL W/WO CONTR $1,404.52 $3,796.00 — 63% —
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Inpatient: lowest $784.28, median $1,043.90, highest $1,404.52 — a 1.8× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $1,145.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

What it is

This MRI of the cervical spine is done without and then with contrast dye. Contrast helps after spine surgery and with tumors, infections and multiple sclerosis.

What the price covers

The price usually covers the scan and the contrast dye. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.