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PricedCare

MRI of the neck (cervical spine), no contrast in Houston, TX costs $80 to $5,272. Here's every hospital's price.

18 hospitals in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area publish a cash price for mri of the neck (cervical spine), no contrast (CPT 72141). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, 18 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the neck (cervical spine), no contrast (CPT 72141). The lowest is $80 at University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the median is $1,408 and the highest is $5,272 at Shriners Hospitals for Children. The most expensive hospital lists 66 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Houston, TX median of $1,408 is in line with the national median of $1,459 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

18 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $62 to $8,429. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between March 2023 and April 2026. 42 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$80
lowest cash price in Houston, TX
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston · 48 mi
$1,328 below the median
$1,408
median cash price
18 hospitals
66×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
18/60
hospitals with a cash price
42 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

Galveston · 48 mi · Older file Mar 2023

$80
list $2,163 · lowest of 4 lines
2
Harris Health

Houston · 7 mi · File Mar 2026

$232
list $503 · lowest of 4 lines
3
Legent North Houston Surgical Hospital

Bellaire · 10 mi · File Mar 2026

$808
list $1,615 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston · 7 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital

Baytown · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital

Nassau Bay · 23 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Houston Methodist Sugarland Hospital

Sugar Land · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815
8
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

Houston · 17 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Houston Methodist West Hospital

Houston · 21 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Houston Methodist the Woodlands Hospital

The Woodlands · 29 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital

Cypress · 23 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,408
list $2,815 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Baylor St Lukes Medical Center

Houston · 7 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,950
list $8,429 · lowest of 4 lines
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 72141. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 72141, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About mri of the neck (cervical spine), no contrast

CPT 72141 is an MRI of the cervical spine without contrast. It shows the discs, nerve roots and spinal cord in the neck and is ordered for arm numbness, neck pain that does not settle, and suspected disc herniation. Expect 20 to 40 minutes in the scanner.

What the price covers

The hospital's price is the technical fee for the scanner, technologist and room. The radiologist's reading is billed separately. Contrast is not part of this code; if your doctor orders contrast the code and price change.

Why prices vary

Spine MRIs are among the most-shopped imaging tests because they are elective and common. Hospital prices spread widely within a metro area; hospital-owned outpatient imaging centers and freestanding centers are usually the low end. Cash prices at hospitals are frequently below the rates they negotiate with insurers.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 72141, scan only?
  • What is the radiologist's fee?
  • Is there a lower price at one of your outpatient imaging sites?

Hospitals in Houston, TX without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask