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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Pittsburgh, PA costs $234 to $6,214. Here's every hospital's price.

15 hospitals in the Pittsburgh, PA 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 Pittsburgh, PA metro area, 15 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $234 at Advanced Surgical Hospital, the median is $3,092 and the highest is $6,214 at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside. The most expensive hospital lists 27 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Pittsburgh, PA median of $3,092 is 115% above the national median of $1,435 across 555 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

15 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $181 to $8,803. 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 February 2026 and April 2026. 16 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.

$234
lowest cash price in Pittsburgh, PA
Advanced Surgical Hospital · 31 mi
$2,857 below the median
$3,092
median cash price
15 hospitals
27×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
15/31
hospitals with a cash price
16 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Advanced Surgical Hospital

Washington · 31 mi · File Apr 2026

$234
list $2,021 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Heritage Valley Beaver

Beaver · 29 mi · File Mar 2026

$513
list $1,900 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Heritage Valley Sewickley

Sewickley · 17 mi · File Mar 2026

$513
list $1,900 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Acmh Hospital

Kittanning · 28 mi · File Mar 2026

$743
list $2,478 · lowest of 2 lines
5
UPMC Jameson

New Castle · 45 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,520
list $2,533 · lowest of 4 lines
6
Penn Highlands Mon Valley

Monongahela · 20 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,756
list $2,926 · lowest of 4 lines
7
Penn Highlands Connellsville

Connellsville · 34 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,756
list $2,926 · lowest of 8 lines
8
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh · 5 mi · File Mar 2026

$3,092
list $5,153 · lowest of 4 lines
9
UPMC St Margaret

Pittsburgh · 2 mi · File Mar 2026

$3,683
list $6,138 · lowest of 4 lines
10
UPMC Passavant

Pittsburgh · 11 mi · File Mar 2026

$3,802
list $6,336 · lowest of 4 lines
11
UPMC Mckeesport Hospital

Mc Keesport · 8 mi · File Mar 2026

$3,835
list $6,391 · lowest of 4 lines
12
UPMC East

Monroeville · 6 mi · File Mar 2026

$3,941
list $6,568 · lowest of 4 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 Pittsburgh, PA 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