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PricedCare

MRI of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast in Tulsa, OK costs $925 to $1,030. Here's every hospital's price.

5 hospitals in the Tulsa, OK 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 Tulsa, OK metro area, 5 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the lower back (lumbar spine), no contrast (CPT 72148). The lowest is $925 at Ascension St John Medical Center, the median is $925 and the highest is $1,030 at Saint Francis Hospital South, LLC.

The Tulsa, OK median of $925 is 35% below the national median of $1,426 across 546 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

6 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $151 to $1,591. 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 October 2025 and April 2026. 17 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.

$925
lowest cash price in Tulsa, OK
Ascension St John Medical Center · 14 mi
$925
median cash price
5 hospitals
1.1×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
5/23
hospitals with a cash price
17 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Ascension St John Medical Center

Tulsa · 14 mi · File Jan 2026

$925
list $2,500 · lowest of 10 lines
2
St John Owasso

Owasso · 19 mi · File Jan 2026

$925
list $2,500 · lowest of 3 lines
3
Ascension St John Sapulpa

Sapulpa · 19 mi · File Jan 2026

$925
list $2,500 · lowest of 3 lines
4
Saint Francis Hospital, INC

Tulsa · 19 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,030
list $2,575
5
Saint Francis Hospital South, LLC

Tulsa · 23 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,030
list $2,575
6
Oklahoma Surgical Hospital, LLC

Tulsa · 21 mi · File Oct 2025

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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 Tulsa, OK 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