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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD costs $229 to $8,658. Here's every hospital's price.

20 hospitals in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, 20 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $229 at Jefferson Abington Hospital, the median is $819 and the highest is $8,658 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The most expensive hospital lists 38 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD median of $819 is 43% below the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

25 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $76 to $8,921. 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 September 2025 and September 2026. 26 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.

$229
lowest cash price in Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Jefferson Abington Hospital · 18 mi
$590 below the median
$819
median cash price
20 hospitals
38×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
20/51
hospitals with a cash price
26 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Jefferson Abington Hospital

Abington · 18 mi · File Mar 2026

$229
list $1,430 · lowest of 4 lines
2
Lower Bucks Hospital

Bristol · 28 mi · File Sep 2026

$234
list $3,315
3
Roxborough Memorial Hospital

Philadelphia · 11 mi · File Sep 2026

$243
list $3,951 · lowest of 3 lines
4
Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital

Bensalem · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

$251
list $2,749
5
Jefferson Lansdale Hospital

Lansdale · 25 mi · File Mar 2026

$275
list $3,194 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Philadelphia · 9 mi · File Mar 2026

$282
list $3,688 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital

Philadelphia · 13 mi · File Dec 2025

$283
· lowest of 2 lines
8
Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital

East Norriton · 18 mi · File Dec 2025

$283
· lowest of 2 lines
9
Jefferson Stratford Hospital

Stratford · 17 mi · File Mar 2026

$309
list $3,468 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center

Meadowbrook · 19 mi · File Sep 2025

$819
list $2,048 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital

Camden · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$860
list $8,601 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Virtua Mount Holly Hospital

Mount Holly · 28 mi · File Apr 2026

$860
list $8,601
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 Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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