MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Birmingham, AL costs $893 to $12,202. Here's every hospital's price.
7 hospitals in the Birmingham, AL metro area publish a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). We read their files every month so you don't have to.
Across the Birmingham, AL metro area, 7 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $893 at The Children's Hospital of Alabama, the median is $10,873 and the highest is $12,202 at Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 14 times the cheapest for the same code.
The Birmingham, AL median of $10,873 is 662% above the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
7 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $49 to $9,743. 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 2026 and June 2026. 7 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.
Sorted by cash price
Hospital facility fee onlyBirmingham · 3 mi · File Mar 2026
Birmingham · 6 mi · File Apr 2026
Bessemer · 12 mi · File Jun 2026
Alabaster · 15 mi · File Apr 2026
Jasper · 36 mi · File Apr 2026
Birmingham · 3 mi · File Apr 2026
Birmingham · 2 mi · File Apr 2026
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for CPT 72148. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.
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.
What to say on the phone
"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 72148, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."
About mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast
CPT 72148 is an MRI of the lumbar spine without contrast. It is the standard imaging test for sciatica, suspected disc herniation and lower-back pain that has not improved after several weeks. It takes 20 to 40 minutes.
What the price covers
The hospital's price is the technical fee: scanner, technologist, room. The radiologist's reading is billed separately. Contrast studies use a different code.
Do you need it?
Most guidelines advise against MRI for uncomplicated back pain in the first six weeks, because the findings rarely change treatment. If your doctor orders one early, it is reasonable to ask why. When it is needed, it is worth shopping: the same scan varies several times in price within one city.
Why prices vary
Hospital main campuses list the highest prices; hospital-owned outpatient imaging centers list lower; freestanding imaging centers, which are not in these files, are often the cheapest. Cash prices at hospitals frequently undercut the negotiated insurance rate.
Questions to ask
- What is the self-pay price for 72148, scan only?
- What does the radiologist charge for the reading?
- Is the same scanner quality available at your outpatient site for less?
Hospitals in Birmingham, AL without a price for this procedure
Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.
- Bibb Medical CenterNo price file found
- St Vincent's BirminghamFile could not be read
- St Vincent's ChiltonFile could not be read
- St Vincent's St ClairFile could not be read
- St Vincents BlountFile could not be read
- St. Vincent's EastFile could not be read
- University of Alabama HospitalFile could not be read