How much does MRI lumbar spine, without contrast cost in New Mexico?
CPT 72148 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for New Mexico.
| Facility | Type | Price | vs Medicare | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center (Alamogordo) lowest | Hospital | $246negotiated | 1.0× | — |
| Lovelace Westside Hospital (Albuquerque) | Hospital | $980cash | 4.1× | — |
| Lovelace Women's Hospital (Albuquerque) | Hospital | $980cash | 4.1× | — |
| Presbyterian Kaseman Hospital (Albuquerque) | Hospital | $1,100cash | 4.6× | — |
| Presbyterian Hospital (Albuquerque) | Hospital | $1,100cash | 4.6× | — |
| Presbyterian Rust Medical Center (Rio Rancho) | Hospital | $1,100cash | 4.6× | — |
| Carlsbad Medical Center (Carlsbad) | Hospital | $1,137cash | 4.7× | — |
| University of New Mexico Hospital (Albuquerque) | Hospital | $1,178cash | 4.9× | — |
| Lovelace Medical Center (Albuquerque) | Hospital | $1,282cash | 5.3× | — |
| Presbyterian Espanola Hospital (Espanola) | Hospital | $1,509cash | 6.2× | — |
| Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center (Santa Fe) | Hospital | $1,509cash | 6.2× | — |
| Socorro General Hospital (Socorro) | Hospital | $1,532cash | 6.3× | — |
| Plains Regional Medical Center (Clovis) | Hospital | $1,569cash | 6.5× | — |
| Holy Cross Medical Center (Taos) | Hospital | $1,900cash | 7.9× | — |
| Dr. Dan C. Trigg Memorial Hospital (Tucumcari) | Hospital | $1,987cash | 8.2× | — |
| San Juan Regional Medical Center (Farmington) | Hospital | $2,009cash | 8.3× | — |
| Mimbres Memorial Hospital (Deming) | Hospital | $2,039cash | 8.4× | — |
| Lincoln County Medical Center (Ruidoso) | Hospital | $2,113cash | 8.7× | — |
| Lovelace Regional Hospital (Roswell) | Hospital | $2,176cash | 9.0× | — |
| Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital (Hobbs) | Hospital | $2,567cash | 10.6× | — |
| Artesia General Hospital (Artesia) | Hospital | $2,623cash | 10.9× | — |
| Cibola General Hospital (Grants) | Hospital | $2,835cash | 11.7× | — |
| Eastern New Mexico Medical Center (Roswell) | Hospital | $3,232cash | 13.4× | — |
| Gila Regional Medical Center (Silver City) | Hospital | $3,414cash | 14.1× | — |
| Nor-Lea Hospital District (Lovington) | Hospital | $3,894cash | 16.1× | — |
| Los Alamos Medical Center (Los Alamos) | Hospital | $4,156cash | 17.2× | — |
| Memorial Medical Center (Las Cruces) | Hospital | $4,800cash | 19.9× | — |
| MountainView Regional Medical Center (Las Cruces) | Hospital | $4,819cash | 19.9× | — |
- 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 $1,986.60, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $1,147.58–$2,781.77. 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.
What should 72148 cost in New Mexico?
For MRI lumbar spine, without contrast (CPT 72148) in New Mexico, a fair self-pay price is around $1,944, with hospitals ranging from $1,148 to $2,782 across 28 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 New Mexico?
A fair self-pay price for MRI lumbar spine, without contrast (CPT 72148) in New Mexico is around $1,944, with hospital prices ranging from $1,148 to $2,782 across 28 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.
Compare other procedures in New Mexico
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.