Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Connecticut
In Connecticut, 7 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $1,698.00 to $3,085.20, with a median of $2,411.27. The lowest price is at Connecticut Children's (Hartford). The highest price is 1.8× the lowest.
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 Sep 23, 2026.
Hospitals in Connecticut, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Children's lowest Hartford · Hartford, CT MRI Lumbar Spine W & WO Contr | $1,698.00 | $2,830.00 | — source file |
| Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Hartford · Hartford, CT HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O & W/Contrast | $1,958.00 | $3,560.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Johnson Memorial Hospital Stafford Springs · Stafford Springs, CT HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O & W/Contrast | $1,965.70 | $3,574.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Day Kimball Healthcare Putnam · Putnam, CT MRI-LS SPINE W/WO CO PLF | $2,411.27 | $6,328.80 | Aug 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Marys Hospital Waterbury · Waterbury, CT HC MRI Lumbar Spine W/O & W/Contrast | $2,526.15 | $4,593.00 | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| UConn Health, Waterbury Hospital Waterbury · Waterbury, CT MRI Spine Lumbar w wo Contrast | $2,798.48 | $5,596.95 | May 13, 2026 source file |
| John Dempsey Hospital of the University of Connecticut Farmington · Farmington, CT HC MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O & W/CONTR MATRL | $3,085.20 | $5,142.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford, CT | 2 | $1,698.00 | $1,828.00 |
| Waterbury, CT | 2 | $2,526.15 | $2,662.32 |
| Farmington, CT | 1 | $3,085.20 | $3,085.20 |
| Putnam, CT | 1 | $2,411.27 | $2,411.27 |
| Stafford Springs, CT | 1 | $1,965.70 | $1,965.70 |
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.
MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye in other states
- Alabama$3,949.76
- Alaska$3,428.10
- Arizona$1,098.94
- Arkansas$902.85
- California$3,783.24
- Colorado$1,512.80
- Delaware$3,788.10
- Florida$3,659.37
- Georgia$2,370.03
- Hawaii$2,037.60
- Idaho$2,263.00
- Illinois$2,767.50
- Indiana$1,527.41
- Iowa$2,413.35
- Kansas$3,053.70
- Kentucky$4,317.77
- Louisiana$1,252.26
- Maine$2,591.25
- Maryland$826.38
- Massachusetts$3,158.25
- Michigan$2,638.00
- Minnesota$1,861.38
- Mississippi$1,753.29
- Missouri$2,496.33
- Montana$2,787.34
- Nebraska$1,966.02
- Nevada$2,926.43
- New Hampshire$2,814.63
- New Jersey$476.54
- New Mexico$2,105.08
- New York$1,557.00
- North Carolina$2,656.05
- North Dakota$2,884.67
- Ohio$2,123.55
- Oklahoma$1,537.48
- Oregon$2,757.88
- Pennsylvania$2,915.10
- Puerto Rico$985.00
- Rhode Island$1,823.70
- South Carolina$2,265.90
- South Dakota$4,207.60
- Tennessee$953.70
- Texas$3,196.33
- Utah$2,845.91
- Vermont$3,957.52
- Virginia$3,315.50
- Washington$3,206.98
- West Virginia$1,949.50
- Wisconsin$2,700.06
- Wyoming$1,841.03
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.