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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Nashville, TN costs $298 to $1,876. Here's every hospital's price.

3 hospitals in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area, 3 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $298 at Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery, the median is $1,002 and the highest is $1,876 at Metro Nashville General Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 6.3 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Nashville, TN median of $1,002 is 34% below the national median of $1,514 across 1337 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

4 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $36 to $1,737. 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 July 2024 and April 2026. 20 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.

$298
lowest cash price in Nashville, TN
Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery · 6 mi
$704 below the median
$1,002
median cash price
3 hospitals
6.3×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
3/24
hospitals with a cash price
20 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Saint Thomas Hospital for Spinal Surgery

Nashville · 6 mi · File Apr 2026

$298
list $1,690
2
Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital

Murfreesboro · 23 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,002
list $3,340
3
Metro Nashville General Hospital

Nashville · 7 mi · Older file Jul 2024

$1,876
list $3,127
4
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital

Nashville · 7 mi · File Jan 2026

—
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 Nashville, TN 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