MRI lower back without contrast in Pennsylvania
Below is what hospitals in Pennsylvania charge if you pay cash, and the typical rate insurers negotiated.
Cash prices at 25 hospitals in Pennsylvania run from $243 to $5,723. The typical hospital charges $934. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $934
Cheaper than most hospitalsPricier than most hospitals
27 hospitals. Sort by: Cash price ▲ · Negotiated median · Gross charge · Negotiated low
What these numbers mean.
Cash price is what the hospital lists for patients paying out of pocket.
Negotiated median is the middle of what insurance companies actually agreed to pay.
Gross charge is the sticker price — almost nobody pays it.
What you will actually pay is usually different from both numbers:
with insurance, your deductible, copay, or coinsurance decides what you owe —
the negotiated rate is what the insurer pays, not your bill.
A single line item may not be the whole cost: physician, anesthesia, pathology,
and facility fees can be billed separately.
Prices vary by hospital and change over time; always confirm with the hospital before you go.
| Hospital | Cash price | Where it sits | Insurance pays (typical) | Gross charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roxborough Memorial Hospital PA · Price file September 1, 2026 | $243Insurance typically pays $256Sticker price $3,951 | Lowest price of any hospital | $256 | $3,951 |
| Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA | $401Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,209 | Cheaper than 96% of hospitals | — | $1,209 |
| WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital PA | $454Insurance typically pays $869Sticker price $2,225 | Cheaper than 92% of hospitals | $869 | $2,225 |
| WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital PA | $454Insurance typically pays $869Sticker price $2,225 | Cheaper than 92% of hospitals | $869 | $2,225 |
| WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital PA | $454Insurance typically pays $869Sticker price $2,225 | Cheaper than 92% of hospitals | $869 | $2,225 |
| WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital PA | $454Insurance typically pays $869Sticker price $2,225 | Cheaper than 92% of hospitals | $869 | $2,225 |
| WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital PA | $454Insurance typically pays $869Sticker price $2,225 | Cheaper than 92% of hospitals | $869 | $2,225 |
| WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital PA | $454Insurance typically pays $869Sticker price $2,225 | Cheaper than 92% of hospitals | $869 | $2,225 |
| WellSpan York Hospital PA | $454Insurance typically pays $869Sticker price $2,225 | Cheaper than 92% of hospitals | $869 | $2,225 |
| Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital Of Erie PA | $566Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $755 | Cheaper than 62% of hospitals | — | $755 |
| Encompass Health Rehab Hospital Of Sewickley PA | $811Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,081 | Cheaper than 58% of hospitals | — | $1,081 |
| Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Of Nittan PA | $846Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,128 | Cheaper than 54% of hospitals | — | $1,128 |
| Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Of Readin PA | $934Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,245 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | — | $1,245 |
| Geisinger Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital PA | $980Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,306 | Pricier than 54% of hospitals | — | $1,306 |
| Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center PA | $1,017Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,542 | Pricier than 58% of hospitals | — | $2,542 |
| Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center PA | $1,017Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,542 | Pricier than 58% of hospitals | — | $2,542 |
| Conemaugh Nason Medical Center PA | $1,017Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,542 | Pricier than 58% of hospitals | — | $2,542 |
| Conemaugh Miners Medical Center PA | $1,017Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,542 | Pricier than 58% of hospitals | — | $2,542 |
| Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Of Altoon PA | $1,075Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,433 | Pricier than 75% of hospitals | — | $1,433 |
| Main Line Hospital Lankenau Wynnewood, PA · Price file April 1, 2026 | $1,790Insurance typically pays $293Sticker price $4,475 | Pricier than 79% of hospitals | $293 | $4,475 |
| Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Of Mechan PA | $2,386Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $3,181 | Pricier than 83% of hospitals | — | $3,181 |
| Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital PA | $2,766Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $3,952 | Pricier than 88% of hospitals | — | $3,952 |
| Geisinger Medical Center PA | $3,339Insurance typically pays $233Sticker price $5,385 | Pricier than 92% of hospitals | $233 | $5,385 |
| Reading Hospital - Transplant Center PA | $3,410Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $4,871 | Pricier than 96% of hospitals | — | $4,871 |
| Chester County Hospital West Chester, PA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $5,723Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $5,723 | Highest price of any hospital | — | $5,723 |
| John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation PA | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $613 | — | — | $613 |
| Allied Services Institute of Rehabilitation PA | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $613 | — | — | $613 |
Procedure code 72148. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.