Lower back MRI cost in New Jersey
In New Jersey, 53 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye: from $241.72 to $32,281.00, with a median of $591.91. The lowest price is at JFK University Medical Center (Edison) and 1 other hospital. The highest price is 133.5× the lowest.
- The median here, $591.91, is 69% below the US median of $1,902.72.
- That is 2.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($243.77).
- New Jersey ranks 2nd of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 11 of 53 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Why New Jersey prices look low: under state law (P.L.2008, c.60), a hospital may not charge an uninsured New Jersey resident whose family income is below 500% of the federal poverty level more than 115% of what Medicare pays for the same service. If that is you, ask the hospital's billing office to apply this limit; a separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 72148. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 9, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$241.72JFK University Medical Center + 1 more
Median$591.91half of hospitals charge less
Highest$32,281.00in New Jersey
Lowest saves$350.19vs the median
Hospitals in New Jersey, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| JFK University Medical Center lowest Edison · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $241.72 | $3,887.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Ocean Medical Center lowest Brick · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $241.72 | $3,887.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Newton Medical Center Newton · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI Spine Lumb WO | $264.13 | $4,426.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Southern Ocean Medical Center Manahawkin · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $264.17 | $4,439.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Bayshore Medical Center Holmdel · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $267.55 | $4,439.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Jersey Shore University Medical Center Neptune City · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $267.55 | $3,887.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Riverview Medical Center Red Bank · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $267.55 | $4,439.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Old Bridge Medical Center Old Bridge · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $267.78 | $4,439.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Raritan Bay Medical Center Perth Amboy · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $267.78 | $4,439.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Saint Marys Hospital Passaic · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine | $282.00 | $3,572.26 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Hackensack University Medical Center Hackensack · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $284.66 | $3,887.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Palisades Medical Center North Bergen · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $284.66 | $4,439.00 | Dec 31, 2025 source file |
| Shore Memorial Hospital Somers Point · Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $308.71 | — | Aug 30, 2026 source file |
| Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center Montclair · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $311.87 | $4,302.00 | Feb 12, 2026 source file |
| University Hospital Newark · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $319.78 | $1,475.29 | Aug 13, 2026 source file |
| CentraState Medical Center Freehold Township · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI Spine Lumb WO | $322.54 | $753.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Chilton Medical Center Pompton Plains · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI Spine Lumb WO | $322.54 | $9,385.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Hackettstown Medical Center Hackettstown · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ MRI Spine Lumb WO | $322.54 | $4,469.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Morristown Medical Center Morristown · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI Spine Lumb WO | $322.54 | $4,469.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlook Medical Center Summit · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI Spine Lumb WO | $322.54 | $4,390.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway Rahway · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $368.16 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Englewood Health Englewood · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI Spinal Canal Lumbar W/O Contrast Material | $414.60 | $4,146.00 | Feb 2, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton Hamilton Township · Trenton-Princeton, NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $467.77 | $2,854.00 | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset Somerville · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $482.32 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Trinitas Regional Medical Center Elizabeth · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $535.69 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Clara Maass Medical Center Belleville · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $567.66 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Community Medical Center Toms River · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $591.91 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Jersey City Medical Center Jersey City · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $593.06 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $594.48 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Livingston · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $604.76 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick New Brunswick · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $608.75 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $624.45 | $2,854.00 | Mar 4, 2026 source file |
| Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus Lakewood · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI L-Spine W/O Con | $678.39 | $2,854.00 | Mar 3, 2026 source file |
| Atlanticare Regional Medical Center - Mainland Division Pomona · Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O CONTRAST | $736.35 | $4,909.00 | Mar 18, 2026 source file |
| Virtua Memorial Hospital Mount Holly · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $860.10 | $8,601.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Camden · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $860.10 | $8,601.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua West Jersey Hospital - Marlton Voorhees · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $860.10 | $8,601.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua West Jersey Hospital - Voorhees Voorhees · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $860.10 | $8,601.00 | Jun 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua Willingboro Hospital Willinboro · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O Contrast | $860.10 | $8,601.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Valley Hospital Paramus · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI LUM SPINE W/O CONTR | $877.80 | $1,463.00 | May 6, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Health Center Bridgeton Bridgeton · Vineland, NJ MRI L-SPINE W/O CONT | $1,249.97 | $1,249.97 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Health Center Woodbury Woodbury · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MRI L-SPINE W/O CONT | $1,249.97 | $1,249.97 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Elmer Elmer · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MRI L-SPINE W/O CONT | $1,249.97 | $1,249.97 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mannington Salem · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MRI L-SPINE W/O CONT | $1,249.97 | $1,249.97 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill Mullica Hill · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MRI L-SPINE W/O CONT | $1,249.97 | $1,249.97 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Vineland Vineland · Vineland, NJ MRI L-SPINE W/O CONT | $1,249.97 | $1,249.97 | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| St Luke's Warren Hospital Phillipsburg · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ HB MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O DYE | $6,142.50 | $6,825.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases Middletown · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI, Lumbar Spine - MRI Lumbar Spine WO Contrast | $6,444.00 | $6,444.00 | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases Basking Ridge · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ HC MRI, Lumbar Spine - MRI Lumbar Spine WO Contrast | $6,444.00 | $6,444.00 | Dec 1, 2025 source file |
| Hudson Regional Hospital Secaucus · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI scan of lower spinal canal without contrast | $7,976.60 | $7,976.60 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Saint Peters University Hospital New Brunswick · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ MRI SPINE LUMBAR PLEXUS WO CONTRA | $8,007.00 | $8,267.00 | Nov 19, 2025 source file |
| Capital Health Medical Center - Hopewell Pennington · Trenton-Princeton, NJ MRI L-SPINE | $32,281.00 | $32,281.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Capital Health Regional Medical Center Trenton · Trenton-Princeton, NJ MRI L-SPINE | $32,281.00 | $32,281.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
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
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
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
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 35 | $241.72 | $322.54 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 9 | $860.10 | $860.10 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 3 | $467.77 | $32,281.00 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 2 | $322.54 | $3,232.52 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 2 | $308.71 | $522.53 |
| Vineland, NJ | 2 | $1,249.97 | $1,249.97 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What lower back MRI is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lower back MRI explained.
MRI of the lower back, no contrast dye in other states
- Alabama$1,596.76
- Alaska$3,437.78
- Arizona$1,752.45
- Arkansas$891.78
- California$3,060.69
- Colorado$2,164.66
- Connecticut$1,437.00
- Delaware$2,452.48
- District of Columbia$2,013.00, 3 hospitals
- Florida$3,699.50
- Georgia$1,713.00
- Hawaii$1,531.60
- Idaho$1,557.45
- Illinois$2,881.44
- Indiana$1,016.72
- Iowa$2,371.13
- Kansas$1,240.13
- Kentucky$1,725.03
- Louisiana$1,032.62
- Maine$1,419.25
- Maryland$495.14
- Massachusetts$1,805.25
- Michigan$1,806.88
- Minnesota$2,036.24
- Mississippi$1,302.62
- Missouri$1,861.45
- Montana$1,753.00
- Nebraska$3,216.00
- Nevada$2,308.53
- New Hampshire$2,455.25
- New Mexico$2,038.78
- New York$1,307.22
- North Carolina$2,227.59
- North Dakota$1,934.90
- Ohio$1,666.80
- Oklahoma$1,264.00
- Oregon$1,870.75
- Pennsylvania$1,790.00
- Puerto Rico$725.00
- Rhode Island$2,250.00
- South Carolina$2,193.60
- South Dakota$3,269.60
- Tennessee$984.54
- Texas$2,190.02
- Utah$4,273.11
- Vermont$3,576.90
- Virginia$2,000.00
- Washington$2,100.33
- West Virginia$1,350.75
- Wisconsin$2,210.00
- Wyoming$2,274.75
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.