Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Monroe, LA — inpatient
In Monroe, LA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye as an inpatient: from $793.50 to $793.50, with a median of $793.50. Across Louisiana, the median is $1,394.40 at 51 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 72158, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner LSU Health Monroe Monroe, LA · (318) 388-7000 HC MRI SPINE LUMBAR W/WO CONTRA | $793.50 | $3,450.00 | — | 77% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $793.50, median $793.50, highest $793.50.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $2,272.58 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
What it is
This MRI of the lumbar spine takes one set of pictures without contrast dye and a second set after the dye is injected into a vein. The dye helps tell scar tissue from a new disc problem after back surgery and can show infection, inflammation or tumors.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers both sets of images; the contrast agent may appear as a separate line on some bills. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.