Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Maryland
In Maryland, 14 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $415.95 to $6,125.71, with a median of $872.38. The lowest price is at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital (Leonardtown). The highest price is 14.7× the lowest.
- The median here, $872.38, is 68% below the US median of $2,750.28.
- That is 2.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($356.43).
- Maryland has the lowest median of 51 states with at least 5 hospitals pricing this code.
- 2 of 14 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Why Maryland prices look low: Maryland is the only state where a commission (the HSCRC) sets hospital rates for every payer, so its hospitals publish prices far below the rest of the country. A separate physician fee may still apply.
Maryland law (Health-General §19-214.1) requires hospitals to give free medically necessary care to patients with family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and to cut the bill by 75% up to 250% and 60% up to 300%. With medical debt above 25% of family income in a year, discounts reach up to 500%. Immigration status does not count. Ask the hospital for its financial assistance application. Other states' laws.
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 Oct 29, 2026. See them on a map
Hospitals in Maryland, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| MedStar St. Mary's Hospital lowest Leonardtown · Lexington Park, MD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO W CONTRAST | $415.95 | $424.44 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Western Maryland Cumberland · Cumberland, MD-WV MRI L-SPINE, W & W/O CONTRAST | $436.20 | $727.00 | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO W CONTRAST | $702.85 | $717.19 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Frederick Health Hospital Frederick · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MRI LUMBAR SPINE WWO CONT | $706.13 | $720.54 | Mar 17, 2025 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD HC MRI, LUMBAR SPINE COMBO | $711.61 | $726.13 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Southern Hospital Center Clinton · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO W CONTRAST | $775.92 | $791.75 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| TidalHealth Peninsula Salisbury · Salisbury, MD HC MRI-L-SPINE W/WO CONTRAST | $826.38 | $843.24 | Mar 19, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Harbor Hospital Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO W CONTRAST | $918.38 | $937.12 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Atlantic General Hospital Berlin · Ocean Pines, MD Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar | $956.12 | $956.12 | Apr 10, 2026 source file |
| Greater Baltimore Medical Center Towson · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD HC MRI-Lumbar Spine Pre/Post | $958.55 | $978.11 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD BC-MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO W CON | $1,176.56 | $1,200.57 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital Baltimore · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD BC-MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO W CON | $1,207.41 | $1,232.05 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MedStar Montgomery Medical Center Olney · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV BC-MRI SPINE LUMBAR WO W CON | $2,528.90 | $2,580.51 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Union Hospital of Cecil County Elkton · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MRI,SPINAL,LUMBAR,W/WO CONTRAST GLR | $6,125.71 | $6,125.71 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 6 | $702.85 | $938.46 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3 | $706.13 | $775.92 |
| Cumberland, MD-WV | 1 | $436.20 | $436.20 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 1 | $415.95 | $415.95 |
| Ocean Pines, MD | 1 | $956.12 | $956.12 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1 | $6,125.71 | $6,125.71 |
| Salisbury, MD | 1 | $826.38 | $826.38 |
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
- Alabama$2,429.59
- 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
- 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.