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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in San Francisco, CA costs $1,713 to $5,209. Here's every hospital's price.

7 hospitals in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, 7 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $1,713 at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, the median is $3,282 and the highest is $5,209 at Chinese Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 3.0 times the cheapest for the same code.

The San Francisco, CA median of $3,282 is 129% above the national median of $1,435 across 555 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

6 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $261 to $9,376. 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 April 2026 and July 2026. 31 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.

$1,713
lowest cash price in San Francisco, CA
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland · 4 mi
$1,569 below the median
$3,282
median cash price
7 hospitals
3.0×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
7/38
hospitals with a cash price
31 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland

Oakland · 4 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,713
list $5,710 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco

South San Francisco · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,282
list $5,860 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont

Fremont · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,282
list $5,860 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch

Antioch · 30 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,282
list $5,860 · lowest of 6 lines
5
Washington Hospital

Fremont · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,650
list $4,680 · lowest of 7 lines
6
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley

Pleasanton · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$4,408
list $11,019 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Chinese Hospital

San Francisco · 7 mi · File Jul 2026

$5,209
list $5,209
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 San Francisco, CA 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