Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Ontario, CA — inpatient
In Ontario, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye as an inpatient: from $3,224.00 to $3,224.00, with a median of $3,224.00. Across California, the median is $3,783.24 at 100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Ontario Ontario, CA MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O & W/CONTR MATRL | $3,224.00 | $6,200.00 | $324.00–$965.00 | 48% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $3,224.00, median $3,224.00, highest $3,224.00.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $3,224.00 — 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 not 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.