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

925

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 22 $422.61 $422.61 $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 31 $700.50 $2,713.80 $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
Fort Loudoun Medical Center Lenoir City, TN $953.70 $198.87 – $2,601.00
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center Knoxville, TN $953.70 $198.87 – $2,601.00
Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge Oak Ridge, TN $953.70 $198.87 – $2,601.00
Banner Heart Hospital Mesa, AZ $954.98 $266.89 – $2,704.50
UPMC Chautauqua Jamestown, NY $975.00 $352.58 – $1,462.50
CHRISTUS St. Francis Cabrini Hospital Alexandria, LA $991.12 $332.92 – $2,251.00
Clara Maass Medical Center Belleville, NJ $994.69 $326.00 – $2,072.00
Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf (Sacred Heart Health System, Inc.) Joe, FL $1,009.60 $383.93 – $824.45
62-1138045 BMH Union City Union City, TN $1,017.80 $283.71 – $652.20
Parkview Whitley Hospital & Parkview Kosciusko Hospital Columbia City, IN $1,020.50 $369.11 – $799.03
Parkview Huntington Hospital Huntington, IN $1,021.50 $369.11 – $799.03
Parkview LaGrange Hospital Lagrange, IN $1,027.00 $757.16 – $864.55
Parkview DeKalb Hospital Auburn, IN $1,036.50 $369.11 – $799.03
Community Medical Center Toms River, NJ $1,037.20 $326.00 – $2,072.00
Jersey City Medical Center Jersey City, NJ $1,039.20 $221.46 – $2,010.00
Parkview Noble Hospital Kendallville, IN $1,040.00 $369.11 – $799.03
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark, NJ $1,041.70 $176.16 – $2,072.00
Parkview Wabash Hospital Wabash, IN $1,051.50 $757.16 – $864.55
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Livingston, NJ $1,059.71 $400.67 – $2,072.00
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick, NJ $1,066.71 $233.08 – $1,076.87
Parkview Regional Medical Center & Parkview Hospital Randallia Fort Wayne, IN $1,072.00 $369.11 – $799.03
Parkview Ortho Hospital Fort Wayne, IN $1,072.00 $369.11 – $799.03
39-3714515 BMH Oktibbeha County STARKVILLE, MS $1,093.76 $271.40 – $1,343.64
Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch, NJ $1,094.21 $326.00 – $2,072.00
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph London London, KY $1,108.69 $443.68 – $2,827.37
62-1166050 BMH Carroll County Huntingdon, TN $1,109.52 $283.71 – $652.20
Ascension NE Wisconsin - St. Elizabeth Campus (Ascension NE Wisconsin, Inc.) Appleton, WI $1,111.50 $115.76 – $720.99
Ascension NE Wisconsin - Mercy Campus (Ascension NE Wisconsin, Inc.) Oshkosh, WI $1,111.50 $115.76 – $720.99
CASTLE MEDICAL CENTER Kailua, HI $1,122.56 $412.14 – $6,139.00
Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA $1,129.00 $81.84 – $702.32
Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $683.40
Houston Methodist Hospital Houston, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $1,401.85
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $683.40
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $683.40
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $1,401.85
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $683.40
Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $683.40
Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX $1,144.50 $350.46 – $700.93
Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX $1,144.50 $859.10 – $859.10
SIERRA VISTA HOSPITAL, INC. San Luis Obispo, CA $1,170.00 $447.92 – $16,900.00
MUSC Health Black River Medical Center Cades, SC $1,187.00 $324.48 – $703.35
Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus Lakewood, NJ $1,188.73 $326.00 – $2,072.00
Banner Wyoming Medical Center Casper, WY $1,194.48 $357.13 – $2,730.24
64-0682111 BMH DeSoto Southaven, MS $1,207.60 $310.67 – $1,204.00
Banner Payson Medical Center Payson, AZ $1,218.18 $266.89 – $2,210.40
St. Joseph Health Grimes Hospital Navasota, TX $1,250.03 $461.69 – $7,928.73
St. Joseph Health Burleson Hospital Caldwell, TX $1,250.03 $461.69 – $6,428.70
St. Joseph Health Madison Hospital Madisonville, TX $1,250.03 $461.69 – $6,428.70
St. Joseph Health College Station Hospital College Station, TX $1,250.03 $330.45 – $6,071.55
62-0123940 BMH Collierville Collierville, TN $1,267.98 $310.67 – $654.04

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