MRI, lower back (no contrast)
Facility: Mary Bridge Children's Hospital
Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)
Highest price of the 9 WA hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 WA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.
⚠ The cash price looks unusually high next to the insurance price — it may be the full list price, not a real cash discount. Call to confirm the self-pay rate.
A fair price for a MRI, lower back (no contrast) is about $451 (about 1.8× the $244 Medicare rate). Mary Bridge Children's Hospital charges insurers about $532, or about $2,259 in cash — above the fair price. Located in Tacoma, WA.
This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less
Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $451. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.
What each insurance company pays
Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.
5 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital
Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.
| Insurance company | Price range | vs. Medicare |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcaremajor | $194 - $2,164 | 80% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $194 - $1,328 | 80% |
| Aetnamajor | $277 - $1,654 | 114% |
| Cignamajor | $4,086 - $5,240 | 1676% |
| Kaiser Permanentemajor | $2,067 | 848% |
| Ambetter (Centene) | $639 | 262% |
| Molina | $180 - $497 | 74% |
| PacificSource | $2,047 - $2,063 | 840% |
| WellCare | $282 | 116% |
| + 4 smaller / regional plans | $194 - $4,851 |
Self-Pay How to get the cash price
Insurance Before you use insurance
Estimate your out-of-pocket cost
A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.
Other Procedures at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital
Compare: MRI, lower back (no contrast) at other WA hospitals
- Prosser Memorial Hospital · Prosser $78
- Jefferson Healthcare · Port Townsend $95
- Lake Chelan Community Hospital · Chelan $98
- Skyline Hospital · White Salmon $111
- Lincoln Hospital · Davenport $125
- Island Hospital · Anacortes $139
- Seattle Children's Hospital · Seattle $158
- Astria Toppenish Hospital · Toppenish $250
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.