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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Phoenix, AZ costs $8 to $1,565. Here's every hospital's price.

17 hospitals in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 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 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, 17 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $8 at Chandler Regional Medical Center, the median is $281 and the highest is $1,565 at St Josephs Hospital and Medical Center. The most expensive hospital lists 188 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Phoenix, AZ median of $281 is 81% below the national median of $1,472 across 1513 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

18 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $10 to $4,431. 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 January 2026 and September 2026. 24 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.

$8
lowest cash price in Phoenix, AZ
Chandler Regional Medical Center · 14 mi
$273 below the median
$281
median cash price
17 hospitals
188×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
17/42
hospitals with a cash price
24 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Chandler Regional Medical Center

Chandler · 14 mi · File Sep 2026

$8
list $30 · lowest of 10 lines
2
Banner Boswell Medical Center

Sun City · 31 mi · File Sep 2026

$227
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Banner Ironwood Medical Center

Queen Creek · 29 mi · File Sep 2026

$229
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center

Sun City West · 37 mi · File Sep 2026

$244
list $1,953 · lowest of 8 lines
5
Banner Baywood Medical Center

Mesa · 27 mi · File Sep 2026

$246
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Banner Estrella Medical Center

Phoenix · 23 mi · File Sep 2026

$250
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center

Casa Grande · 30 mi · File Sep 2026

$258
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
8
Banner Ocotillo Medical Center

Chandler · 14 mi · File Sep 2026

$279
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix

Phoenix · 19 mi · File Sep 2026

$281
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Banner Gateway Medical Center

Gilbert · 24 mi · File Sep 2026

$316
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center

Glendale · 30 mi · File Sep 2026

$340
list $1,953 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Banner Desert Medical Center

Mesa · 18 mi · File Sep 2026

$371
list $1,953 · 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 Phoenix, AZ 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