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PricedCare

MRI of the neck (cervical spine), no contrast in San Francisco, CA costs $1,704 to $5,209. Here's every hospital's price.

6 hospitals in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, 6 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the neck (cervical spine), no contrast (CPT 72141). The lowest is $1,704 at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, the median is $3,735 and the highest is $5,209 at Chinese Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 3.1 times the cheapest for the same code.

The San Francisco, CA median of $3,735 is 156% above the national median of $1,459 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

6 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $261 to $9,376. 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 April 2026 and July 2026. 31 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.

$1,704
lowest cash price in San Francisco, CA
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland · 4 mi
$2,031 below the median
$3,735
median cash price
6 hospitals
3.1×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
6/38
hospitals with a cash price
31 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland

Oakland · 4 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,704
list $5,681 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley

Pleasanton · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,815
list $7,038 · lowest of 4 lines
3
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco

South San Francisco · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,735
list $6,670 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont

Fremont · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,735
list $6,670
5
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch

Antioch · 30 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,735
list $6,670 · lowest of 6 lines
6
Washington Hospital

Fremont · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,750
list $4,808 · lowest of 7 lines
7
Chinese Hospital

San Francisco · 7 mi · File Jul 2026

$5,209
list $5,209
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 San Francisco, CA 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