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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Seattle, WA costs $519 to $2,417. Here's every hospital's price.

13 hospitals in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, 13 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $519 at Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill, the median is $1,971 and the highest is $2,417 at St Elizabeth Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 4.7 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Seattle, WA median of $1,971 is 38% above the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

13 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $6 to $6,155. 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 April 2026. 14 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.

$519
lowest cash price in Seattle, WA
Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill · 24 mi
$1,453 below the median
$1,971
median cash price
13 hospitals
4.7×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
13/27
hospitals with a cash price
14 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill

Seattle · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

$519
list $1,081 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Swedish Issaquah

Issaquah · 9 mi · File Apr 2026

$519
list $1,081 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Overlake Hospital Medical Center & Clinics

Bellevue · 19 mi · File Apr 2026

$979
list $1,958
4
Valley Medical Center

Renton · 18 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,020
list $1,457 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Virginia Mason Medical Center

Seattle · 24 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,098
list $2,153 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett

Everett · 39 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,139
list $2,191 · lowest of 4 lines
7
St Clare Hospital

Lakewood · 39 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,971
list $6,839 · lowest of 2 lines
8
St Anthony Hospital

Gig Harbor · 38 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,080
list $6,839 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Highline Medical Center

Burien · 24 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,088
list $6,839 · lowest of 2 lines
10
St Francis Community Hospital

Federal Way · 27 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,146
list $6,839 · lowest of 2 lines
11
St Joseph Medical Center

Tacoma · 33 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,265
list $6,839 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Cascade Valley Hospital

Arlington · 50 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,360
list $2,950
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 Seattle, WA 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