Skip to main content
PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Houston, TX costs $76 to $5,144. Here's every hospital's price.

18 hospitals in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, 18 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $76 at University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the median is $1,056 and the highest is $5,144 at Shriners Hospitals for Children. The most expensive hospital lists 68 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Houston, TX median of $1,056 is 26% below the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

18 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $59 to $10,082. 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 March 2023 and April 2026. 42 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.

$76
lowest cash price in Houston, TX
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston · 48 mi
$980 below the median
$1,056
median cash price
18 hospitals
68×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
18/60
hospitals with a cash price
42 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

Galveston · 48 mi · Older file Mar 2023

$76
list $2,163 · lowest of 4 lines
2
Harris Health

Houston · 7 mi · File Mar 2026

$232
list $5,326 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Legent North Houston Surgical Hospital

Bellaire · 10 mi · File Mar 2026

$808
list $1,615 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston · 7 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital

Baytown · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital

Nassau Bay · 23 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Houston Methodist Sugarland Hospital

Sugar Land · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112
8
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

Houston · 17 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Houston Methodist West Hospital

Houston · 21 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Houston Methodist the Woodlands Hospital

The Woodlands · 29 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital

Cypress · 23 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,056
list $2,112 · lowest of 2 lines
12
St Luke's Patients Medical Center

Pasadena · 16 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,887
list $8,250 · lowest of 4 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 Houston, 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