Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Austin, TX
In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 28 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $758.86 to $12,333.85, with a median of $3,167.94. The lowest listed price is at The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center — $2,409.08 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $3,196.33 at 283 hospitals.
- The median here, $3,167.94, is 16% above the US median of $2,741.00.
- That is 8.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($356.43).
- Austin, TX ranks 2nd of 4 metro areas in Texas by median, cheapest first.
- 10 of 28 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 28 facilities across 14 cities for code 72158, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 11, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 2, 2024 and Oct 30, 2026.
Lowest$758.86The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center
Median$3,167.94half of hospitals charge less
Highest$12,333.85in this market
Difference16.3×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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
median
Lowest $758.86Highest $12,333.85
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hospital at Westlake Medical Center lowest Austin, TX · (512) 327-0000 MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O W/CONTR MATRL File of Sep 2, 2024 · source file | $758.86 | $3,290.00 | $333.80–$2,439.55 | 77% |
| Ascension Seton Edgar B Davis Luling, TX · (830) 875-7000 MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $1,572.39 | $4,367.75 | $275.11–$3,097.24 | 64% |
| Ascension Seton Hays Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 MR L SPN CANL WOW PEDI+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,122.56 | $5,896.00 | $275.11–$3,097.24 | 64% |
| Ascension Seton Smithville Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 MR L SPN CANL WOW PEDI+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,122.56 | $5,896.00 | $275.11–$3,097.24 | 64% |
| St.davids Surgical Hospital Austin, TX Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar +2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $2,251.00 | $2,251.00 | $112.55–$3,118.00 | — |
| Ascension Seton Hays Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,434.41 | $6,762.25 | $275.11–$3,097.24 | 64% |
| Ascension Seton Northwest Austin, TX · (512) 324-6000 MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,556.09 | $7,100.25 | $275.11–$3,195.11 | 64% |
| Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Tx Austin, TX · (512) 324-7000 MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,556.09 | $7,100.25 | $275.11–$3,195.11 | 64% |
| Ascension Seton Southwest Austin, TX · (512) 324-9000 MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,556.09 | $7,100.25 | $275.11–$3,195.11 | 64% |
| Ascension Seton Smithville Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,556.09 | $7,100.25 | $275.11–$3,195.11 | 64% |
| Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin Austin, TX · (512) 324-1000 MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $2,556.09 | $7,100.25 | $275.11–$3,195.11 | 64% |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC MRI SPINE LUMB W/O&W CONT File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file | $3,167.94 | $5,279.90 | $329.13–$4,751.91 | 40% |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC MRI SPINE LUMB W/O&W CONT File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file | $3,167.94 | $5,279.90 | $329.13–$4,751.91 | 40% |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC MRI SPINE LUMB W/O&W CONT File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file | $3,167.94 | $5,279.90 | $329.13–$3,959.93 | 40% |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC MRI SPINE LUMB W/O&W CONT File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file | $3,167.94 | $5,279.90 | $329.13–$3,959.93 | 40% |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC MRI SPINE LUMB W/O&W CONT File of Jun 13, 2026 · source file | $3,167.94 | $5,279.90 | $329.13–$4,751.91 | 40% |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC MRI SPINE LUMB W/O&W CONT File of Jun 3, 2026 · source file | $3,167.94 | $5,279.90 | $367.98–$3,431.93 | 40% |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC MRI SPINE LUMB W/O&W CONT File of Oct 30, 2026 · source file | $3,294.66 | $5,491.10 | $494.01–$4,392.88 | 40% |
| Ascension Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX · (512) 528-7000 MR-LUMB SPINE WWO+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $3,402.41 | $9,451.13 | $275.11–$4,253.01 | 64% |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR L SPN CANL WOW PEDI+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $4,127.20 | $5,896.00 | $275.11–$3,097.24 | 30% |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX MR L SPN CANL WOW+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $4,970.18 | $7,100.25 | $275.11–$3,195.11 | 30% |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC MR, SPINE LUMBAR WO & W CONTRAST File of Mar 5, 2026 · source file | $4,990.16 | $7,448.00 | $329.13–$7,075.60 | 33% |
| St. David's Medical Center Manor, TX · (512) 476-7111 Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar MRI/MRA+2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $6,941.00 | $6,941.00 | $340.48–$4,678.23 | — |
| Heart Hosp of Austin at St. David's Round Rock Round Rock, TX Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar +2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $6,941.00 | $6,941.00 | $340.48–$4,678.23 | — |
| Heart Hosp of Austin Austin, TX Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar +2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $6,941.00 | $6,941.00 | $340.48–$4,678.23 | — |
| St. David's Georgetown Hospital Georgetown, TX · (512) 476-7111 Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar +2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $6,941.00 | $6,941.00 | $340.48–$4,678.23 | — |
| St. David's South Austin Medical Center Bastrop, TX · (512) 448-7107 Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar +2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $8,074.00 | $8,074.00 | $340.48–$5,441.88 | — |
| St. David's North Austin Medical Center Austin, TX · (512) 901-1000 MRI L-SPINE W&W/O CONT File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $8,989.00 | $8,989.00 | $449.45–$8,090.10 | — |
| Cornerstone Specialty Hospitals Round Rock Round Rock, TX MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO/W CONT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $9,668.00 | $9,668.00 | — | — |
| St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Leander, TX · (512) 341-1000 Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar MRI/MRA+2 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $11,002.00 | $11,002.00 | $340.48–$7,415.35 | — |
| Pam Specialty Hospital of Luling Luling, TX MRI Lumbar Spine W/O & W/Dye File of Aug 6, 2026 · source file | $12,333.85 | $12,333.85 | $229.64–$11,100.47 | — |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Outpatient: lowest $758.86, median $3,167.94, highest $12,333.85 — a 16.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 19 facilities here, median $3,167.94. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 17 of 27 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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 lower back MRI with contrast is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lower back MRI with contrast explained.