Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Missouri
In Missouri, 24 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $347.00 to $8,264.60, with a median of $2,496.33. The lowest price is at St Joseph Medical Center (Kansas City). The highest price is 23.8× 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 25, 2026.
Lowest$347.00St Joseph Medical Center
Median$2,496.33half pay less
Highest$8,264.60in Missouri
Lowest saves$2,149.33vs the median
Hospitals in Missouri, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph Medical Center lowest Kansas City · Kansas City, MO-KS Hc Mri, Lumbar Spine Combo | $347.00 | $6,001.86 | Mar 17, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Perry Perryville · Perryville, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont Pf | $419.25 | $645.00 | — source file |
| Boone Hospital Center Columbia · Columbia, MO MRI LUMBAR SPINE COMBO-CF | $454.80 | $758.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Western Missouri Medical Center Warrensburg · Warrensburg, MO MRI Spine Lumbar w/ + w/o Cont - FAMC | $730.00 | $3,103.40 | Dec 1, 2024 source file |
| NKC Health North Kansas City · Kansas City, MO-KS MR Lumbar Spine w wo Contrast | $730.22 | $2,518.00 | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Stoddard Dexter · Dexter, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $1,561.95 | $2,403.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus · St. Louis, MO-IL MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,074.15 | $3,191.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington · St. Louis, MO-IL MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,074.15 | $3,191.00 | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights · St. Louis, MO-IL MRI Spine Lumbar w/ + w/o Contrast | $2,326.72 | $2,908.40 | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Freeman Health System - Freeman West Joplin · Joplin, MO-KS MR - LSP W/WO CONTRAST | $2,473.17 | $6,182.93 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Aurora Aurora · Aurora, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,496.00 | $3,840.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Cassville Cassville · Cassville, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,496.00 | $3,840.00 | — source file |
| Mercy St. Francis Hospital Mountain View · West Plains, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,496.65 | $3,841.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy · St. Louis, MO-IL MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,631.85 | $4,049.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lebanon Lebanon · Lebanon, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,632.50 | $4,050.00 | — source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia · Columbia, MO MRI SPINE LUMBAR WOW CONTRAST-MOI | $2,716.80 | $4,528.00 | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Joplin Joplin · Joplin, MO-KS MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,971.80 | $4,572.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis · St. Louis, MO-IL MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,980.25 | $4,585.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Springfield Springfield · Springfield, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,998.45 | $4,613.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Springfield Ozark · Springfield, MO MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $2,998.45 | $4,613.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Southeast Cape Girardeau · Cape Girardeau, MO-IL MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $3,075.80 | $4,732.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis · St. Louis, MO-IL MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $3,086.85 | $4,749.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Carthage Carthage · Joplin, MO-KS MRI Lumbar Spine W/WO Cont | $3,112.20 | $4,788.00 | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis · St. Louis, MO-IL MRI LUMBAR SPINE W/O & W/DYE | $8,264.60 | $8,264.60 | — source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 7 | $2,074.15 | $2,631.85 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | 3 | $2,473.17 | $2,971.80 |
| Columbia, MO | 2 | $454.80 | $1,585.80 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 2 | $347.00 | $538.61 |
| Springfield, MO | 2 | $2,998.45 | $2,998.45 |
| Aurora, MO | 1 | $2,496.00 | $2,496.00 |
| Cassville, MO | 1 | $2,496.00 | $2,496.00 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 1 | $3,075.80 | $3,075.80 |
| Dexter, MO | 1 | $1,561.95 | $1,561.95 |
| Lebanon, MO | 1 | $2,632.50 | $2,632.50 |
| Perryville, MO | 1 | $419.25 | $419.25 |
| Warrensburg, MO | 1 | $730.00 | $730.00 |
| West Plains, MO | 1 | $2,496.65 | $2,496.65 |
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
- 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
- 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.