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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Los Angeles, CA costs $305 to $5,143. Here's every hospital's price.

42 hospitals in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, 42 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $305 at Saint Francis Medical Center, the median is $2,214 and the highest is $5,143 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The most expensive hospital lists 17 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Los Angeles, CA median of $2,214 is 50% above the national median of $1,472 across 1513 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

45 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $181 to $14,761. 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 November 2025 and September 2026. 55 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.

$305
lowest cash price in Los Angeles, CA
Saint Francis Medical Center · 13 mi
$1,909 below the median
$2,214
median cash price
42 hospitals
17×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
42/100
hospitals with a cash price
55 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Saint Francis Medical Center

Lynwood · 13 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $2,097
2
Encino Hospital Medical Center

Encino · 18 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $4,182
3
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center

Garden Grove · 28 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $6,213
4
West Anaheim Medical Center

Anaheim · 22 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $6,399
5
Huntington Beach Hospital

Huntington Beach · 30 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $6,399
6
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital

La Palma · 20 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $6,399
7
San Dimas Community Hospital

San Dimas · 20 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $6,379
8
Centinela Hospital Medical Center

Inglewood · 15 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $2,444
9
Sherman Oaks Hospital

Sherman Oaks · 16 mi · File Sep 2026

$305
list $2,800
10
Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center

Tarzana · 20 mi · File Apr 2026

$742
list $2,120 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center

Mission Hills · 20 mi · File Apr 2026

$784
list $2,239 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Ctr

Burbank · 9 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,285
list $3,672 · 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 Los Angeles, CA 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