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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Boston, MA-NH costs $449 to $2,467. Here's every hospital's price.

5 hospitals in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, 5 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $449 at Boston Medical Center-Brighton, the median is $1,142 and the highest is $2,467 at Cambridge Health Alliance. The most expensive hospital lists 5.5 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Boston, MA-NH median of $1,142 is 20% below the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

6 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $81 to $3,429. 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 January 2026 and April 2026. 35 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.

$449
lowest cash price in Boston, MA-NH
Boston Medical Center-Brighton · 13 mi
$692 below the median
$1,142
median cash price
5 hospitals
5.5×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
5/41
hospitals with a cash price
35 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Boston Medical Center-Brighton

Brighton · 13 mi · File Mar 2026

$449
list $999 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital

Brockton · 30 mi · File Jan 2026

$796
list $1,137 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Tufts Medical Center

Boston · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,142
list $1,631 · lowest of 3 lines
4
Lowell General Hospital

Lowell · 19 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,381
list $1,973 · lowest of 3 lines
5
Boston Medical Center

Boston · 13 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,815
list $4,034
6
Cambridge Health Alliance

Cambridge · 11 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,467
list $2,467
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 72148. 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 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 Boston, MA-NH 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