Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) cost at US hospitals

MRI thoracic spine without and with contrast · CPT 72157

What is Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with and without contrast)? Read the full explainer →

Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with and without contrast)

This scans the twelve vertebrae of the mid and upper back, before and after a gadolinium injection. Worn discs are far less common at this level than in the neck or low back, so a thoracic MRI is usually ordered because the concern is the spinal cord itself or the bone around it.

$358.82

lowest cash price

$2,998.00

national median

$28,834.54

highest cash price

928

hospitals with a published cash price

Middle half of hospitals (25th–75th percentile) against the full range. The same procedure varies $358.82–$28,834.54 — the variation is the story.

Most expensive published cash price

$28,834.54

HCA HOUSTON SOUTHEAST — PASADENA, TX

Median cash price over time

Sep 1, 2025 ($2,191.75) → Sep 1, 2026 ($8,058.00)

By state

State Hospitals Lowest cash Median Highest
Alaska 4 $1,954.68 $5,254.08 $6,098.04
Arizona 22 $418.30 $627.44 $3,943.73
Arkansas 7 $905.70 $1,730.52 $5,847.00
California 90 $775.11 $3,224.00 $11,109.33
Colorado 17 $445.30 $7,305.32 $24,552.00
Florida 80 $622.25 $8,743.77 $27,405.68
Georgia 25 $2,122.00 $2,429.31 $11,938.03
Hawaii 2 $1,122.56 $1,122.56 $2,325.00
Illinois 51 $1,287.00 $4,119.60 $6,492.96
Indiana 26 $582.60 $1,040.00 $4,507.36
Iowa 29 $1,643.20 $4,425.60 $8,094.00
Kansas 11 $1,688.40 $6,046.72 $17,932.14
Kentucky 24 $1,108.69 $4,507.36 $19,736.18
Louisiana 1 $991.12 $991.12 $991.12
Maine 7 $2,191.75 $3,186.60 $3,956.45
Maryland 2 $442.20 $442.20 $442.20
Michigan 27 $360.49 $3,520.00 $5,984.00
Minnesota 19 $912.00 $3,820.00 $4,724.80
Mississippi 11 $358.82 $1,388.74 $2,834.00
Missouri 20 $1,552.32 $2,560.80 $18,608.92
Montana 2 $2,860.80 $2,860.80 $2,889.60
Nebraska 12 $1,716.04 $1,748.88 $4,323.10
Nevada 3 $1,710.79 $2,203.96 $2,440.48
New Hampshire 1 $8,730.55 $8,730.55 $8,730.55
New Jersey 21 $390.30 $819.66 $1,188.73
New Mexico 2 $3,087.84 $3,087.84 $3,087.84
New York 23 $422.61 $975.00 $10,547.00
North Carolina 15 $1,861.50 $2,656.05 $7,374.00
North Dakota 4 $3,253.60 $3,856.00 $4,052.80
Ohio 54 $1,601.60 $2,197.00 $7,783.20
Oklahoma 16 $1,390.28 $2,889.25 $5,011.00
Oregon 13 $405.00 $1,934.40 $6,035.00
Pennsylvania 33 $700.50 $2,916.00 $9,808.20
South Carolina 11 $1,187.00 $2,560.20 $11,724.00
South Dakota 7 $3,919.20 $4,230.40 $5,039.20
Tennessee 38 $656.19 $953.70 $21,531.05
Texas 110 $1,144.50 $3,264.90 $28,834.54
Virginia 43 $656.19 $3,315.50 $17,753.00
Washington 32 $1,798.16 $2,425.20 $4,686.50
West Virginia 17 $1,588.80 $1,928.00 $4,926.60
Wisconsin 33 $1,111.50 $3,179.18 $7,450.60
Wyoming 4 $1,194.48 $1,736.87 $1,841.03

All hospitals

Hospital Location Cash price Negotiated range
Adventhealth Rollins Brook Lampasas, TX $4,609.30 $1,779.42 – $1,779.42
Adventhealth Central Texas Killeen, TX $4,609.30 $350.46 – $1,779.42
Morgan County ARH Hospital Liberty, KY $4,633.20 $760.00 – $760.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton, IA $4,634.50 $2,822.77 – $7,130.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton, IA $4,634.50 $330.23 – $7,130.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein, IA $4,634.50 $2,725.09 – $7,130.00
St. Michael Medical Center Silverdale, WA $4,648.98 $1,440.56 – $9,480.23
OSF Healthcare Saint Katharine Medical Center Dixon, IL $4,674.60 $373.86 – $373.86
Providence Mission Hospital - Mission Viejo Mission Viejo, CA $4,677.12 $381.40 – $830.11
Providence St Mary Medical Center Walla Walla, WA $4,686.50 $340.77 – $719.22
Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital Palos Heights, IL $4,696.30 not published
Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital IL 60190, IL $4,696.30 not published
Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital DeKalb, IL $4,696.30 not published
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital DBA Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital Lake Forest, IL $4,696.30 not published
Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital Geneva, IL $4,696.30 not published
Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital Wheaton, IL $4,696.30 not published
Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital McHenry, IL $4,696.30 not published
Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL $4,696.30 not published
Sanford Worthington Medical Center Worthington, MN $4,724.80 $283.44 – $5,315.40
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, CA $4,739.70 $448.71 – $2,200.12
OSF Sacred Heart Medical Center – Urbana Danville, IL $4,771.20 $373.86 – $381.34
Bethesda Hospital East BOYNTON BEACH, FL $4,832.10 $255.55 – $6,690.60
Doctors Hospital CORAL GABLES, FL $4,832.10 $247.73 – $6,690.60
Baptist Health Hospital Doral SOUTH MIAMI, FL $4,832.10 $247.73 – $6,690.60
Fishermens Community Hospital MARATHON, FL $4,832.10 $247.73 – $6,690.60
Homestead Hospital HOMESTEAD, FL $4,832.10 $167.89 – $6,690.60
Mariners Hospital TAVERNIER, FL $4,832.10 $247.73 – $6,690.60
West Kendall Baptist Hospital MIAMI, FL $4,832.10 $247.73 – $6,690.60
Baptist Hospital MIAMI, FL $4,832.10 $173.17 – $6,690.60
UPMC Wellsboro Wellsboro, PA $4,850.40 $344.32 – $2,405.45
Barbourville ARH Hospital Barbourville, KY $4,864.80 $760.00 – $760.00
UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell, IA $4,865.19 $100.51 – $2,450.84
Glendale Memorial Hospital Health Center Glendale, CA $4,904.67 $449.80 – $12,036.00
Beckley ARH Hospital Beckley, WV $4,926.60 $307.95 – $1,539.56
Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center Hazard, KY $4,926.60 $102.72 – $760.00
Dell Children's Medical Center (Ascension Seton) Austin, TX $4,970.18 $276.95 – $3,113.99
Love County Health Center Marietta, OK $5,011.00 $185.15 – $185.15
HCA FLORIDA TWIN CITIES HOSPITAL DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FL $5,030.00 $828.27 – $4,909.27
Sanford USD Medical Center Sioux Falls, SD $5,039.20 $170.46 – $5,669.10
Whitesburg ARH Hospital Whitesburg, KY $5,052.00 $189.63 – $760.00
OSF Saint James John W Albrecht Medical Center Pontiac, IL $5,080.80 $373.86 – $381.34
UnityPoint Health - Iowa Lutheran Hospital Des Moines, IA $5,086.24 $100.51 – $1,869.19
CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Emergency Center - Alon San Antonio, TX $5,105.43 $167.67 – $2,372.00
Allen Hospital Oberlin, OH $5,111.40 not published
HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital Mattoon, IL $5,127.84 $149.54 – $7,122.00
Mary Immaculate Hospital Newport News, VA $5,152.20 not published
Maryview Hospital Portsmouth, VA $5,152.20 not published
Harbour View Medical Center Suffolk, VA $5,152.20 not published
Providence Valdez Medical Center Valdez, AK $5,254.08 not published
HCA FLORIDA CAPITAL HOSPITAL TALLAHASSEE, FL $5,273.65 $828.27 – $4,518.14

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