Neck MRI with contrast cost in Pittsburgh, PA — inpatient
In Pittsburgh, PA, 16 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the neck (cervical spine) without and with contrast as an inpatient: from $1,821.63 to $9,808.20, with a median of $4,435.25. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Washington — $2,613.62 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $2,854.80 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 16 facilities across 9 cities for code 72156, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Apr 14, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Washington lowest Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 MRI CERVICAL SPINE W&W/O CONTR | $1,821.63 | $3,036.05 | $2,125.24 | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 MRI C SPINE WITH OR WITHOUT | $2,594.40 | $4,324.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 MRI CERV W/WO | $2,594.40 | $4,324.00 | $1,945.80 | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 MRI CERV W/WO CONTRAST | $2,594.40 | $4,324.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $2,946.00 | $4,910.00 | $3,682.50–$4,320.80 | 40% | — source file |
| Forbes Hospital Monroeville, PA · (412) 858-2000 HC MRI CERV SPINE W/WO CNTRST | $3,760.38 | $4,821.00 | $267.41–$676.15 | 22% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| AHN Wexford Hospital Wexford, PA · (412) 295-3319 HC MRI CERV SPINE W/WO CNTRST | $3,765.86 | $5,089.00 | $384.98–$676.15 | 26% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| West Penn Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 578-5000 HC MRI CERV SPINE W/WO CNTRST | $3,910.61 | $5,357.00 | $384.98–$676.15 | 27% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| Jefferson Regional Medical Center Jefferson Hills, PA · (412) 469-5000 HC MRI CERV SPINE W/WO CNTRST | $4,122.09 | $5,089.00 | $267.41–$676.15 | 19% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $4,748.40 | $7,914.00 | $3,165.60–$7,122.60 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $5,810.40 | $9,684.00 | $2,527.52–$8,231.40 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $5,999.40 | $9,999.00 | $3,599.64–$9,299.07 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $6,049.20 | $10,082.00 | $3,498.45–$8,569.70 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $6,218.40 | $10,364.00 | $3,523.76–$8,291.20 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $6,512.40 | $10,854.00 | $3,321.32–$9,768.60 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $6,741.00 | $11,235.00 | $4,044.60–$10,336.20 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 MR SP CANAL CERVICAL W WO | $9,808.20 | $16,347.00 | $10,625.55–$13,894.95 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,821.63, median $4,435.25, highest $9,808.20 — a 5.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $4,122.09 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 15 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 it is below every plan's rate. 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
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.