Skip to main content
PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Denver, CO costs $982 to $2,774. Here's every hospital's price.

10 hospitals in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, 10 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $982 at Adventhealth Porter, the median is $1,380 and the highest is $2,774 at Children's Hospital Colorado. The most expensive hospital lists 2.8 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Denver, CO median of $1,380 is in line with the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

10 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $123 to $5,889. 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 February 2026 and April 2026. 12 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.

$982
lowest cash price in Denver, CO
Adventhealth Porter · 17 mi
$398 below the median
$1,380
median cash price
10 hospitals
2.8×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
10/22
hospitals with a cash price
12 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Adventhealth Porter

Denver · 17 mi · File Apr 2026

$982
list $982 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Adventhealth Littleton

Littleton · 11 mi · File Apr 2026

$982
list $982 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Adventhealth Parker

Parker · 11 mi · File Apr 2026

$982
list $982 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Adventhealth Castle Rock

Castle Rock · 2 mi · File Apr 2026

$982
list $982 · lowest of 2 lines
5
National Jewish Health

Denver · 21 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,380
list $1,972
6
Denver Health & Hospital Authority

Denver · 21 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,466
list $4,189 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Centura Health-St Anthony Hospital

Lakewood · 23 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,677
list $6,692 · lowest of 2 lines
8
Centura Health-St Anthony North Health Campus

Westminster · 36 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,677
list $6,692 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Orthocolorado Hosp at St Anthony Med Campus

Lakewood · 23 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,677
list $6,692 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Children's Hospital Colorado

Aurora · 21 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,774
list $4,267 · lowest of 2 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 Denver, CO 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