Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Virginia Beach, VA — inpatient
In Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, 10 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye as an inpatient: from $3,315.50 to $6,619.55, with a median of $3,492.78. The lowest listed price is at Hospital for Extended Recovery and 4 other hospitals — $177.28 less than the median here. Across Virginia, the median is $3,315.50 at 37 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 7 cities for code 72158, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 17, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital for Extended Recovery lowest Norfolk, VA · (757) 388-3000 Chgr-Mr Lumbar Spine W / Wo Contrast | $3,315.50 | $6,631.00 | — | 50% | — source file |
| Sentara Princess Anne Hospital lowest Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 507-1520 Chgr-Mr Lumbar Spine W / Wo Contrast | $3,315.50 | $6,631.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Careplex Hospital lowest Hampton, VA · (757) 827-2545 Chgr-Mr Lumbar Spine W / Wo Contrast | $3,315.50 | $6,631.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital lowest Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Chgr-Mr Lumbar Spine W / Wo Contrast | $3,315.50 | $6,631.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Leigh Hospital lowest Norfolk, VA · (757) 261-6700 Chgr-Mr Lumbar Spine W / Wo Contrast | $3,315.50 | $6,631.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital lowest Virginia Beach, VA · (757) 395-8000 Chgr-Mr Lumbar Spine W / Wo Contrast | $3,315.50 | $6,631.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Chesapeake General Hospital Chesapeake, VA · (757) 312-8121 Hc Mri-Spine Lumbar Wo & W Cont | $3,670.06 | $6,116.76 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center Portsmouth, VA · (757) 398-2200 HC MRI-Spine Lumbar WO & W Cont | $4,750.20 | $7,917.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Bon Secours Harbour View Medical Center Suffolk, VA · (757) 673-5917 HC MRI-Spine Lumbar WO & W Cont | $4,750.20 | $7,917.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mary Immaculate Hospital Newport News, VA · (757) 886-6000 HC MRI-Spine Lumbar WO & W Cont | $4,750.20 | $7,917.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters Norfolk, VA · (757) 668-9647 MRI L-SPINE W/WO | $6,619.55 | $7,355.05 | $4,883.75–$6,766.65 | 10% | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $3,315.50, median $3,492.78, highest $6,619.55 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $3,492.78 — 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
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.