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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Chicago, IL-IN costs $362 to $5,558. Here's every hospital's price.

33 hospitals in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, 33 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $362 at University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, the median is $1,653 and the highest is $5,558 at The University of Chicago Medical Center. The most expensive hospital lists 15 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Chicago, IL-IN median of $1,653 is 16% above the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

34 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $43 to $8,500. 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 2025 and August 2026. 46 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.

$362
lowest cash price in Chicago, IL-IN
University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics · 12 mi
$1,291 below the median
$1,653
median cash price
33 hospitals
15×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
33/82
hospitals with a cash price
46 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics

Chicago · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$362
list $1,208 · lowest of 5 lines
2
Humboldt Park Health

Chicago · 12 mi · File Aug 2026

$551
list $1,967
3
Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital

Melrose Park · 10 mi · File Mar 2026

$783
list $4,123 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Loyola University Medical Center

Maywood · 7 mi · File Mar 2026

$948
list $4,123 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth La Grange

La Grange · 3 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,125
list $4,500 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Hinsdale

Hinsdale · 5 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,125
list $4,500 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Glenoaks

Glendale Heights · 16 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,125
list $4,500 · lowest of 2 lines
8
Uchicago Medicine Adventhealth Bolingbrook

Bolingbrook · 14 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,125
list $4,500 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Presence Saint Joseph Hospital - Chicago

Chicago · 16 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,181
list $3,580 · lowest of 7 lines
10
Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center

Oak Lawn · 6 mi · File Nov 2025

$1,210
list $2,420 · lowest of 32 lines
11
Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers

Morris · 40 mi · File Jun 2026

$1,264
list $5,253
12
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center

Chicago · 16 mi · File Nov 2025

$1,350
list $2,700 · lowest of 24 lines
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 Chicago, IL-IN 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