Lower back MRI with contrast cost in Tennessee
In Tennessee, 43 hospitals publish a cash price for MRI of the lower back, without and then with contrast dye: from $413.42 to $3,104.66, with a median of $953.70. The lowest price is at Erlanger Health (Chattanooga). The highest price is 7.5× 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 25, 2026.
Lowest$413.42Erlanger Health
Median$953.70half pay less
Highest$3,104.66in Tennessee
Lowest saves$540.28vs the median
Hospitals in Tennessee, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erlanger Health lowest Chattanooga · Chattanooga, TN-GA CHG MRI SPINAL CANAL LUMBAR W/O & W/CONTR MATRL | $413.42 | $783.00 | Jan 25, 2026 source file |
| Hancock County Hospital Sneedville · Sneedville, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $656.19 | $2,853.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Johnson County Community Hospital Mountain City · Mountain City, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $656.19 | $2,853.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Bristol Regional Medical Center Bristol · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Franklin Woods Community Hospital Johnson City · Johnson City, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Greeneville Community Hospital Greeneville · Greeneville, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Hawkins County Memorial Hospital Rogersville · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Holston Valley Medical Center Kingsport · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Indian Path Community Hospital Kingsport · Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Johnson City Medical Center Johnson City · Johnson City, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | — source file |
| Sycamore Shoals Hospital Elizabethton · Johnson City, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR WOW CON | $668.55 | $4,457.00 | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Claiborne Medical Center Tazewell · Tazewell, TN MR SPINE LUMB WW CON | $809.20 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Leconte Medical Center Sevierville · Sevierville, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $838.10 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Shelbyville · Shelbyville, TN MRI, LUMBAR SPINE COMBO | $849.41 | $2,929.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital Tullahoma · Tullahoma-Manchester, TN MRI, LUMBAR SPINE COMBO | $849.41 | $2,929.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN MRI, LUMBAR SPINE COMBO | $849.41 | $2,929.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Morristown Hamblen Hospital Association Morristown · Morristown, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $867.00 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Parkwest Medical Center Knoxville · Knoxville, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $867.00 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Cumberland Medical Center Crossville · Crossville, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $924.80 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Fort Loudoun Medical Center Lenoir City · Knoxville, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $953.70 | $2,890.00 | Aug 27, 2026 source file |
| Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Knoxville · Knoxville, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $953.70 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge Oak Ridge · Knoxville, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $953.70 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Roane County Medical Center Harriman · Knoxville, TN MR LUMBAR SPINE W&WO CONT | $953.70 | $2,890.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City Union City · Union City, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR W WO CONTRAST | $1,076.80 | $5,384.00 | Feb 25, 2026 source file |
| Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital Clarksville · Clarksville, TN-KY MR-LUMB SPINE WWO | $1,207.71 | $6,225.24 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Collierville · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MR SPINE LUMBAR W WO CONTRAST | $1,267.98 | $6,038.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MR SPINE LUMBAR W WO CONTRAST | $1,267.98 | $6,038.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Women's Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MR SPINE LUMBAR W WO CONTRAST | $1,267.98 | $6,038.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County Huntingdon · Huntingdon, TN HC MR SPINE LUMBAR W WO CONTRAST | $1,302.49 | $5,663.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN MRI - LUMBAR W/WO | $1,324.91 | $4,416.35 | — source file |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN MRI LUMBAR SPINE WO & W | $1,325.22 | $4,417.40 | — source file |
| Erlanger Health Pikeville · Pikeville, TN HC MRI Spine Lumbar W/WO Cont | $1,344.43 | $4,652.00 | Jan 25, 2026 source file |
| Saint Thomas River Park Hospital McMinnville · McMinnville, TN MRI L-SPINE W&W/O CONT | $1,356.98 | $4,523.25 | — source file |
| DeKalb Community Hospital Smithville · Smithville, TN MRI L-SPINE W&W/O CONT | $1,424.84 | $4,749.45 | — source file |
| Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital Sparta · Cookeville, TN MRI L-SPINE W&W/O CONT | $1,424.84 | $4,749.45 | — source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Covington · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MR SPINE LUMBAR W WO CONTRAST | $1,533.84 | $6,391.00 | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville · Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN MRI, LUMBAR SPINE COMBO | $1,581.66 | $2,929.00 | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Germantown Hosp Germantown · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MRI, Lumbar Spine Combo - MRI Lumbar Spine W WO Contrast | $1,858.78 | $8,449.00 | — source file |
| Methodist North Hospital Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MRI, Lumbar Spine Combo - MRI Lumbar Spine W WO Contrast | $1,858.78 | $8,449.00 | — source file |
| Methodist South Hospital Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MRI, Lumbar Spine Combo - MRI Lumbar Spine W WO Contrast | $1,858.78 | $8,449.00 | — source file |
| Methodist University Hospital Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MRI, Lumbar Spine Combo - MRI Lumbar Spine W WO Contrast | $1,858.78 | $8,449.00 | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Childrens Hosp Memphis · Memphis, TN-MS-AR HC MRI, Lumbar Spine Combo - MRI Lumbar Spine W WO Contrast | $1,951.84 | $8,872.00 | — source file |
| STRHS Pulaski Pulaski · Pulaski, TN Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, spinal canal and contents, without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences; lumbar | $3,104.66 | $10,596.11 | — source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 9 | $1,267.98 | $1,858.78 |
| Knoxville, TN | 5 | $867.00 | $953.70 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 4 | $668.55 | $668.55 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 4 | $849.41 | $1,325.06 |
| Johnson City, TN | 3 | $668.55 | $668.55 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 1 | $413.42 | $413.42 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 1 | $1,207.71 | $1,207.71 |
| Cookeville, TN | 1 | $1,424.84 | $1,424.84 |
| Crossville, TN | 1 | $924.80 | $924.80 |
| Greeneville, TN | 1 | $668.55 | $668.55 |
| Huntingdon, TN | 1 | $1,302.49 | $1,302.49 |
| Mountain City, TN | 1 | $656.19 | $656.19 |
| McMinnville, TN | 1 | $1,356.98 | $1,356.98 |
| Morristown, TN | 1 | $867.00 | $867.00 |
| Pikeville, TN | 1 | $1,344.43 | $1,344.43 |
| Pulaski, TN | 1 | $3,104.66 | $3,104.66 |
| Smithville, TN | 1 | $1,424.84 | $1,424.84 |
| Sneedville, TN | 1 | $656.19 | $656.19 |
| Sevierville, TN | 1 | $838.10 | $838.10 |
| Shelbyville, TN | 1 | $849.41 | $849.41 |
| Tazewell, TN | 1 | $809.20 | $809.20 |
| Tullahoma-Manchester, TN | 1 | $849.41 | $849.41 |
| Union City, TN | 1 | $1,076.80 | $1,076.80 |
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
- 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
- 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.