How much does MRI lumbar spine, without contrast cost in Colorado?

CPT 72148 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for Colorado.

Estimates only. Educational estimates from public Medicare benchmarks and hospital-published prices — not a guarantee, and not legal, medical, or financial advice.
72148 MRI lumbar spine, without contrast
Ask to pay
$483
About 2.0× what Medicare pays — most hospitals accept a self-pay rate in this range.
What Medicare paysⓘ
$242
Typical price near you
$1,849
Cash / self-pay price
$2,021
Prices near you — 39 facilities, lowest first
FacilityTypePricevs MedicareQuality
Vail Health Hospital (Vail) lowest Hospital $146cash 0.6× ★★★★★
Montrose Regional Health (Montrose) Hospital $183cash 0.8× ★★★★★
Banner North Colorado Medical Center (Greeley) Hospital $305cash 1.3× ★★★★★
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Hospital $336cash 1.4× —
Community Hospital (Grand Junction) Hospital $532cash 2.2× ★★★★★
Banner Sterling Regional MedCenter (Sterling) Hospital $569cash 2.4× ★★★★★
UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center (Steamboat Springs) Hospital $940cash 3.9× —
AdventHealth Avista (Louisville) Hospital $982cash 4.1× ★★★★★
AdventHealth Littleton Hospital $982cash 4.1× ★★★★★
AdventHealth Porter (Denver) Hospital $982cash 4.1× ★★★★★
AdventHealth Castle Rock Hospital $982cash 4.1× ★★★★★
AdventHealth Parker Hospital $982cash 4.1× ★★★★★
Prices from each hospital's public machine-readable file; imaging & surgery-center prices are published self-pay rates (often the cheapest option). vs Medicare is how many times the Medicare rate each facility charges. 4 unusually low/high prices excluded from the typical price as likely data errors.
💬 What to say — negotiation scripts
  • For 72148 (MRI lumbar spine, without contrast), Medicare's benchmark rate is $241.72. A fair self-pay target for this line is $483.44. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
  • Your own published cash / self-pay price for 72148 is $2,021.20, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $981.91–$2,676.76. Please apply a rate in that range to my bill rather than the gross charge.
  • Please send a fully itemized bill listing every CPT/HCPCS/DRG code and its individual charge, so I can review each line against published rates.
  • Separately, what is your financial assistance / charity care policy, and am I eligible? Please send me the application and the income thresholds.
See MRI lumbar spine, without contrast prices in another area
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What should 72148 cost in Colorado?

For MRI lumbar spine, without contrast (CPT 72148) in Colorado, a fair self-pay price is around $1,849, with hospitals ranging from $982 to $2,677 across 39 facilities. Medicare's benchmark rate is $242, the floor to negotiate toward. The card above lists each hospital's price, cheapest first, with CMS quality stars.

Frequently asked questions

How much does MRI lumbar spine, without contrast cost in Colorado?

A fair self-pay price for MRI lumbar spine, without contrast (CPT 72148) in Colorado is around $1,849, with hospital prices ranging from $982 to $2,677 across 39 facilities. These are estimates from hospital-published prices, not a guarantee.

What is the Medicare rate for CPT 72148?

Medicare pays about $242 for MRI lumbar spine, without contrast (CPT 72148). That's the negotiation floor — a fair cash-pay target is roughly 1.5–2× it, well below typical gross charges.

Can I negotiate the price of MRI lumbar spine, without contrast?

Yes. Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule hospitals must publish these rates, so you can ask to pay the cash or negotiated rate instead of the gross charge. Paste your bill on the home page for a ready-to-send appeal letter and the exact numbers to cite.

Got a bill for this?

If you were charged more than the fair price, you can usually negotiate it down. Paste your itemized bill to get a personalized appeal letter, the exact numbers to cite, an AI negotiation coach, and a charity-care eligibility check — free.

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Prices last refreshed September 2026 from each hospital's official CMS machine-readable file. Medicare rate: CY2025 OPPS/PFS/CLFS. Estimates only — not a guarantee.