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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Dallas, TX costs $238 to $5,117. Here's every hospital's price.

48 hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area, 48 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $238 at Dallas Medical Center, the median is $2,394 and the highest is $5,117 at Texas Health Hospital Mansfield. The most expensive hospital lists 22 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Dallas, TX median of $2,394 is 68% above the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

49 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $176 to $7,411. 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 September 2026. 39 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.

$238
lowest cash price in Dallas, TX
Dallas Medical Center · 7 mi
$2,156 below the median
$2,394
median cash price
48 hospitals
22×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
48/88
hospitals with a cash price
39 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Dallas Medical Center

Dallas · 7 mi · File Sep 2026

$238
list $4,564
2
Dallas Regional Medical Center

Mesquite · 22 mi · File Sep 2026

$238
list $11,370
3
Baylor University Medical Center

Dallas · 12 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 20 lines
4
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center at Irving

Irving · 2 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 18 lines
5
Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center

Fort Worth · 23 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 20 lines
6
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center- Waxahachie

Waxahachie · 30 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 18 lines
7
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Grapevine

Grapevine · 9 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 16 lines
8
Baylor Scott and White Medical Center Lake Pointe

Rowlett · 27 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 14 lines
9
Baylor Scott & White Heart & Vascular Hospital - Dallas

Dallas · 12 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 10 lines
10
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Frisco

Frisco · 19 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 10 lines
11
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Centennial

Frisco · 22 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 16 lines
12
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Plano

Plano · 15 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,190
list $3,650 · lowest of 6 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 Dallas, 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