Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Alabama
In Alabama, 46 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $311.00 to $15,450.00, with a median of $2,429.59. The lowest price is at Riverview Regional Medical Center (Gadsden). The highest price is 49.7× the lowest.
- The median here, $2,429.59, is 12% below the US median of $2,750.28.
- That is 6.8× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($356.43).
- Alabama ranks 18th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 16 of 46 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 72158. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$311.00Riverview Regional Medical Center
Median$2,429.59half of hospitals charge less
Highest$15,450.00in Alabama
Lowest saves$2,118.59vs the median
Hospitals in Alabama, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview Regional Medical Center lowest Gadsden · Gadsden, AL Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine Combo | $311.00 | $15,207.20 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Troy Regional Medical Center Troy · Troy, AL MR L-SPINE W/WO CONTRAST | $433.00 | $2,140.00 | Dec 31, 2024 source file |
| East Alabama Medical Center Opelika · Auburn-Opelika, AL RAD MRI SPINE LUMBAR W/ + W/O CONTRAST | $473.55 | $861.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Medical Center Barbour Eufaula · Eufaula, AL-GA MRI LUMBAR W/WO | $577.14 | $1,154.27 | Mar 29, 2026 source file |
| Whitfield Regional Hospital Demopolis · Demopolis, AL MRI Lumbar W&W/O Contrast | $1,140.00 | $1,900.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Monroe County Hospital Monroeville · Monroeville, AL MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR WWO CONTRAST | $1,189.20 | $2,973.00 | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Southeast Health Medical Center Dothan · Dothan, AL MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL BEFORE AND AFTER CONTRAST | $1,200.78 | $3,001.96 | Nov 4, 2026 source file |
| Baldwin Health Foley · Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL MR-LUMB SPINE WWO | $1,235.76 | $6,865.35 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Evergreen Medical Center Evergreen · Evergreen, AL MRI LUMBAR W/ & W/O CONTRAST 72158 | $1,428.05 | $2,197.00 | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham · Birmingham, AL HC MRI, Lumbar Spine Combo - MRI Lumbar Spine W WO Contrast | $1,565.03 | $3,639.60 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama – Benjamin Russell Hospital Birmingham · Birmingham, AL HC MRI, Lumbar Spine Combo - MRI Lumbar Spine W WO Contrast | $1,565.03 | $3,639.60 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Russellville Hospital Russellville · Russellville, AL MRI LUMBAR SPINE WWO CON | $1,641.25 | $6,312.50 | Jul 31, 2026 source file |
| Coosa Valley Medical Center Sylacauga · Talladega-Sylacauga, AL Mri Lumb Spine W+w/o Contr | $1,709.00 | $7,119.00 | — source file |
| Highlands Medical Center Scottsboro · Scottsboro, AL MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL BEFORE AND AFTER CONTRAST | $2,010.40 | $2,872.00 | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Medical Center Enterprise Enterprise · Enterprise, AL MR-LUMB SPINE WWO | $2,062.23 | $22,913.64 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Springhill Memorial Hospital Mobile · Mobile, AL LUMBAR W/W/O CONT | $2,090.27 | $2,459.14 | Apr 2, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Medical Center East Montgomery · Montgomery, AL F-MR LUMBAR SPINE MRI W/O + W/ | $2,149.29 | $3,582.15 | Dec 30, 2025 source file |
| Baptist Medical Center South Montgomery · Montgomery, AL XMR LUMBAR SPINE MRI W/O + W | $2,149.29 | $3,582.15 | Dec 30, 2025 source file |
| Marion Regional Medical Center Hamilton · Hamilton, AL HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE COMBO - MRI LUMBAR SPINE W WO CONTRAST | $2,158.17 | $5,019.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| North Mississippi Health Services-South Marion Winfield · Winfield, AL HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE COMBO - MRI LUMBAR SPINE W WO CONTRAST | $2,158.17 | $5,019.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Ochsner Choctaw General Butler · Butler, AL HC MRI SPINE LUMBAR W/WO CONTRA | $2,204.76 | $2,901.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Dch Regional Medical Center Tuscaloosa · Tuscaloosa, AL MR LUM SP WWO CONTRAST | $2,397.38 | $4,794.75 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Fayette Medical Center Fayette · Fayette, AL MR LUM SP WWO CONTRAST | $2,397.38 | $4,794.75 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Marshall Medical Center North Guntersville · Albertville, AL MR-LUMBAR SPINE W/WO CONTR | $2,461.80 | $2,461.80 | Apr 13, 2026 source file |
| Marshall Medical Centers Boaz · Albertville, AL MR-LUMBAR SPINE W/WO CONTR | $2,461.80 | $2,461.80 | Apr 13, 2026 source file |
| Grandview Medical Center Birmingham · Birmingham, AL MR-LUMB SPINE WWO | $2,482.80 | $16,552.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Floyd Cherokee Medical Center Centre · Centre, AL HC MRI LUMBAR SPINE COMBO | $2,492.00 | $4,984.00 | Oct 30, 2026 source file |
| Flowers Hospital Dothan · Dothan, AL MR-LUMB SPINE WWO | $2,552.70 | $17,018.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Cullman Regional Medical Center Cullman · Cullman, AL MRI Spine Lumbar w/ + w/o Contrast | $2,842.95 | $5,301.01 | Jan 19, 2026 source file |
| Gadsden Regional Medical Center Gadsden · Gadsden, AL MR-LUMB SPINE WWO | $2,869.16 | $23,909.66 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Crestwood Medical Center Huntsville · Huntsville, AL MR-LUMB SPINE WWO | $2,925.01 | $16,250.06 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| UAB Medical West Bessemer · Birmingham, AL MRI L-Spine w/wo Cont | $3,306.00 | $4,408.00 | Jun 22, 2026 source file |
| Helen Keller Hospital Sheffield · Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL MR-LUMBAR SPINE W/WO CONTR | $4,109.00 | $4,109.00 | Mar 27, 2026 source file |
| Red Bay Hospital Red Bay · Russellville, AL MR-LUMBAR SPINE W/WO CONTR | $4,109.00 | $4,109.00 | Mar 27, 2026 source file |
| Decatur Morgan Hospital West Decatur · Decatur, AL MRI L-SPINE W/WO CONTRAST | $4,366.00 | $4,366.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Decatur Morgan Hospital - Decatur Campus Decatur · Decatur, AL MRI L-SPINE W/WO CONTRAST | $4,366.00 | $4,366.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Decatur Morgan Hospital - Parkway Campus Decatur · Decatur, AL MRI L-SPINE W/WO CONTRAST | $4,366.00 | $4,366.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Athens Limestone Hospital Athens · Huntsville, AL MR LUMBAR SPINE WO/W CONTRAST | $4,419.00 | $4,419.00 | Mar 25, 2026 source file |
| DeKalb Regional Medical Center Fort Payne · Fort Payne, AL MR LUMBAR SPINE WO/W CONTRAST | $4,419.00 | $4,419.00 | Aug 20, 2026 source file |
| Huntsville Hospital Huntsville · Huntsville, AL MR-LUMBAR SPINE W/WO CONTR | $4,974.50 | $4,974.50 | Mar 27, 2026 source file |
| Huntsville Hospital Madison · Huntsville, AL MR-LUMBAR SPINE W/WO CONTR | $4,974.50 | $4,974.50 | Mar 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital Birmingham · Birmingham, AL Hb Mri, Lumbar Spine Combo - Mri Lumbar Spine W Wo Contrast | $14,342.81 | $14,342.81 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Citizens Hospital Talladega · Talladega-Sylacauga, AL Hb Mri, Lumbar Spine Combo - Mri Lumbar Spine W Wo Contrast | $15,450.00 | $15,450.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Princeton Hospital Birmingham · Birmingham, AL Hb Mri, Lumbar Spine Combo - Mri Lumbar Spine W Wo Contrast | $15,450.00 | $15,450.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Shelby Hospital Alabaster · Birmingham, AL Hb Mri, Lumbar Spine Combo - Mri Lumbar Spine W Wo Contrast | $15,450.00 | $15,450.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Walker Hospital Jasper · Birmingham, AL Hb Mri, Lumbar Spine Combo - Mri Lumbar Spine W Wo Contrast | $15,450.00 | $15,450.00 | Apr 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 8 | $1,565.03 | $8,824.40 |
| Huntsville, AL | 4 | $2,925.01 | $4,696.75 |
| Decatur, AL | 3 | $4,366.00 | $4,366.00 |
| Albertville, AL | 2 | $2,461.80 | $2,461.80 |
| Dothan, AL | 2 | $1,200.78 | $1,876.74 |
| Gadsden, AL | 2 | $311.00 | $1,590.08 |
| Montgomery, AL | 2 | $2,149.29 | $2,149.29 |
| Russellville, AL | 2 | $1,641.25 | $2,875.12 |
| Talladega-Sylacauga, AL | 2 | $1,709.00 | $8,579.50 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | 1 | $473.55 | $473.55 |
| Butler, AL | 1 | $2,204.76 | $2,204.76 |
| Centre, AL | 1 | $2,492.00 | $2,492.00 |
| Cullman, AL | 1 | $2,842.95 | $2,842.95 |
| Demopolis, AL | 1 | $1,140.00 | $1,140.00 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 1 | $1,235.76 | $1,235.76 |
| Evergreen, AL | 1 | $1,428.05 | $1,428.05 |
| Enterprise, AL | 1 | $2,062.23 | $2,062.23 |
| Eufaula, AL-GA | 1 | $577.14 | $577.14 |
| Fayette, AL | 1 | $2,397.38 | $2,397.38 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 1 | $4,109.00 | $4,109.00 |
| Fort Payne, AL | 1 | $4,419.00 | $4,419.00 |
| Hamilton, AL | 1 | $2,158.17 | $2,158.17 |
| Monroeville, AL | 1 | $1,189.20 | $1,189.20 |
| Mobile, AL | 1 | $2,090.27 | $2,090.27 |
| Scottsboro, AL | 1 | $2,010.40 | $2,010.40 |
| Troy, AL | 1 | $433.00 | $433.00 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 1 | $2,397.38 | $2,397.38 |
| Winfield, AL | 1 | $2,158.17 | $2,158.17 |
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 with contrast is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Lower back MRI with contrast explained.
MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye in other states
- Alaska$4,207.87
- Arizona$2,468.24
- Arkansas$1,336.18
- California$4,517.08
- Colorado$3,216.70
- Connecticut$2,532.00
- Delaware$3,788.10
- District of Columbia$3,211.00, 3 hospitals
- Florida$4,972.00
- Georgia$2,370.03
- Hawaii$2,461.20
- Idaho$2,275.50
- Illinois$4,033.80
- Indiana$1,463.94
- Iowa$3,450.20
- Kansas$1,731.23
- Kentucky$2,276.40
- Louisiana$1,375.63
- Maine$2,302.80
- Maryland$872.38
- Massachusetts$2,760.80
- Michigan$2,731.30
- Minnesota$2,691.92
- Mississippi$1,942.17
- Missouri$2,473.17
- Montana$2,670.74
- Nebraska$3,980.70
- Nevada$4,317.05
- New Hampshire$3,858.16
- New Jersey$1,007.75
- New Mexico$2,862.81
- New York$1,777.32
- North Carolina$2,886.50
- North Dakota$3,103.03
- Ohio$2,335.45
- Oklahoma$1,617.85
- Oregon$2,972.70
- Pennsylvania$3,268.70
- Puerto Rico$985.00
- Rhode Island$3,257.40
- South Carolina$2,832.60
- South Dakota$4,410.40
- Tennessee$1,424.84
- Texas$3,196.33
- Utah$5,448.79
- Vermont$4,713.00
- Virginia$3,315.50
- Washington$2,901.65
- West Virginia$1,909.25
- Wisconsin$3,415.00
- Wyoming$2,552.46
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.