Skip to main content
PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in New York, NY-NJ costs $244 to $7,977. Here's every hospital's price.

41 hospitals in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, 41 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $244 at Kings County Hospital Center, the median is $510 and the highest is $7,977 at Hudson Regional Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 33 times the cheapest for the same code.

The New York, NY-NJ median of $510 is 65% below the national median of $1,472 across 1513 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

51 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $1 to $15,052. 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 September 2026. 59 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.

$244
lowest cash price in New York, NY-NJ
Kings County Hospital Center · 9 mi
$266 below the median
$510
median cash price
41 hospitals
33×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
41/110
hospitals with a cash price
59 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Kings County Hospital Center

Brooklyn · 9 mi · File Sep 2026

$244
list $837 · lowest of 3 lines
2
Bellevue Hospital Center

New York · 9 mi · File Sep 2026

$244
list $837 · lowest of 7 lines
3
Queens Hospital Center

Jamaica · 1 mi · File Sep 2026

$244
list $837 · lowest of 7 lines
4
Woodhull Medical & Mental Health Center

Brooklyn · 7 mi · File Sep 2026

$244
list $837 · lowest of 9 lines
5
Newton Medical Center

Newton · 54 mi · File Apr 2026

$264
list $4,426 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Saint Clare's Hospital/ Denville Campus

Denville · 36 mi · File Sep 2026

$276
list $1,177 · lowest of 3 lines
7
Saint Michael's Medical Center

Newark · 19 mi · File Sep 2026

$276
list $4,538
8
St Mary's General Hospital

Passaic · 19 mi · File Sep 2026

$282
list $3,572
9
Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center

Bronx · 8 mi · File Sep 2026

$286
list $819 · lowest of 3 lines
10
Jacobi Medical Center

Bronx · 9 mi · File Sep 2026

$286
list $1,593 · lowest of 3 lines
11
Elmhurst Hospital Center

Elmhurst · 4 mi · File Sep 2026

$286
list $819 · lowest of 4 lines
12
South Brooklyn Health

Brooklyn · 13 mi · File Sep 2026

$286
list $819 · 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 New York, NY-NJ 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