Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Louisiana
In Louisiana, 13 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $294.40 to $3,089.60, with a median of $1,252.26. The lowest price is at New Orleans East Hospital (New Orleans). The highest price is 10.5× 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 Louisiana, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans East Hospital lowest New Orleans · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $294.40 | $1,840.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center Independence · Hammond, LA MRI SCAN OF LOWER SPINAL CANAL BEFORE AND AFTER CONTRAST | $712.75 | $1,187.91 | — source file |
| St. Frances Cabrini Hospital Alexandria · Alexandria, LA HC 72158 MRI L-SPINE W/O & W CONTRAST | $893.88 | $3,438.00 | Jan 13, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $984.28 | $4,474.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $1,145.20 | $8,180.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $1,223.84 | $7,649.00 | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $1,252.26 | $4,638.00 | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $1,394.40 | $9,960.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $1,394.40 | $9,960.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeview Hospital Covington · Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $1,394.40 | $9,960.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans · New Orleans-Metairie, LA MRI Scan of Lower Spinal Canal Before and After Contrast | $1,394.40 | $9,960.00 | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Natchitoches Regional Medical Center Natchitoches · Natchitoches, LA LUMBAR W/WO CONTRAST | $2,167.20 | $5,418.00 | Mar 18, 2026 source file |
| Hardtner Medical Center Olla · Olla, LA MRI Spine Lumbar w/ + w/o Contrast | $3,089.60 | $3,862.00 | Apr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 8 | $294.40 | $1,238.05 |
| Alexandria, LA | 1 | $893.88 | $893.88 |
| Hammond, LA | 1 | $712.75 | $712.75 |
| Natchitoches, LA | 1 | $2,167.20 | $2,167.20 |
| Olla, LA | 1 | $3,089.60 | $3,089.60 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | 1 | $1,394.40 | $1,394.40 |
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
- Connecticut$2,411.27
- 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
- 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.