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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Detroit, MI costs $234 to $6,335. Here's every hospital's price.

22 hospitals in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area, 22 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $234 at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, the median is $1,134 and the highest is $6,335 at Sinai-Grace Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 27 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Detroit, MI median of $1,134 is 23% below the national median of $1,472 across 1513 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

19 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $1 to $3,404. 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 December 2025 and September 2026. 14 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.

$234
lowest cash price in Detroit, MI
Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital · 4 mi
$901 below the median
$1,134
median cash price
22 hospitals
27×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
22/36
hospitals with a cash price
14 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital

Rochester · 4 mi · File Jan 2026

$234
list $497 · lowest of 3 lines
2
Lake Huron Medical Center

Port Huron · 42 mi · File Sep 2026

$236
list $3,572
3
Garden City Hospital

Garden City · 28 mi · File Sep 2026

$236
list $3,572
4
Henry Ford Macomb Hospital

Clinton Township · 14 mi · File Jun 2026

$328
list $2,834
5
Henry Ford Health Hospital

Detroit · 25 mi · File Jun 2026

$328
list $2,834 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Wyandotte Hospital and Medical Center

Wyandotte · 35 mi · File Jun 2026

$328
list $2,834
7
Henry Ford Health West Bloomfield Hospital

W Bloomfield · 16 mi · File Jun 2026

$328
list $2,834
8
Karmanos Cancer Center

Detroit · 27 mi · File Dec 2025

$515
list $1,030 · lowest of 3 lines
9
Ascension River District Hospital

East China · 37 mi · File Jan 2026

$587
list $1,048 · lowest of 10 lines
10
Henry Ford Health St John Hospital

Detroit · 25 mi · File Jan 2026

$925
list $1,757 · lowest of 20 lines
11
Mclaren Port Huron

Port Huron · 43 mi · File Dec 2025

$1,134
list $2,269 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Ascension Providence Hospital, Southfield and Novi

Southfield · 18 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,347
list $2,406 · lowest of 18 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 Detroit, MI 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