Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Valdez, AK
In Valdez, AK, 1 hospital lists a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $5,265.00 to $5,265.00, with a median of $5,265.00. Across Alaska, the median is $3,428.10 at 7 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 72158, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Valdez Valdez, AK HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O & W/DYE | $5,265.00 | $6,750.00 | — | 22% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $5,265.00, median $5,265.00, highest $5,265.00.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $5,265.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.