MRI lower back without contrast in Tennessee
Below is what hospitals in Tennessee charge if you pay cash, and the typical rate insurers negotiated.
Cash prices at 23 hospitals in Tennessee run from $405 to $10,890. The typical hospital charges $1,075. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $1,075
Cheaper than most hospitalsPricier than most hospitals
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Memorial Hospital - Carroll County TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $405Insurance typically pays $398Sticker price $2,700 | Lowest price of any hospital | $398 | $2,700 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital Union City TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $405Insurance typically pays $398Sticker price $2,700 | Lowest price of any hospital | $398 | $2,700 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $405Insurance typically pays $398Sticker price $2,700 | Lowest price of any hospital | $398 | $2,700 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital Tipton TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $405Insurance typically pays $398Sticker price $2,700 | Lowest price of any hospital | $398 | $2,700 |
| Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Of Frankl TN | $847Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,129 | Cheaper than 82% of hospitals | — | $1,129 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas River Park TN | $930Insurance typically pays $273Sticker price $3,101 | Cheaper than 77% of hospitals | $273 | $3,101 |
| West Tennessee Healthcare Rehabilitation Hosptial TN | $958Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,278 | Cheaper than 73% of hospitals | — | $1,278 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands TN | $977Insurance typically pays $273Sticker price $3,256 | Cheaper than 68% of hospitals | $273 | $3,256 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Dekalb TN | $977Insurance typically pays $297Sticker price $3,256 | Cheaper than 68% of hospitals | $297 | $3,256 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown TN | $1,002Insurance typically pays $243Sticker price $3,340 | Cheaper than 59% of hospitals | $243 | $3,340 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West TN | $1,002Insurance typically pays $243Sticker price $3,340 | Cheaper than 59% of hospitals | $243 | $3,340 |
| West Tennessee Healthcare Rehabilitation Hospital TN | $1,075Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,433 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | — | $1,433 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Stones River TN | $1,136Insurance typically pays $340Sticker price $3,071 | Pricier than 55% of hospitals | $340 | $3,071 |
| Methodist Hospitals Of Memphis Memphis, TN | $1,364Insurance typically pays $221Sticker price $6,202 | Pricier than 59% of hospitals | $221 | $6,202 |
| Rehabilitation Hospital Of Kingsport, A Joint Vent TN | $1,588Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,118 | Pricier than 64% of hospitals | — | $2,118 |
| Quillen Rehabilitation Hospital, Ajv Of Ballad Hlt TN | $1,604Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,139 | Pricier than 68% of hospitals | — | $2,139 |
| Starr Regional Medical Center Athens TN | $1,635Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $8,255 | Pricier than 73% of hospitals | — | $8,255 |
| Southern Tennessee Regional Health System Lawrence TN | $1,872Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $7,501 | Pricier than 77% of hospitals | — | $7,501 |
| Southern Tennessee Regional Health System Pulaski TN | $1,891Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $6,489 | Pricier than 82% of hospitals | — | $6,489 |
| Memorial Healthcare System, Inc Chattanooga, TN · Price file February 28, 2026 | $2,033Insurance typically pays $524Sticker price $4,807 | Pricier than 86% of hospitals | $524 | $4,807 |
| Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital Of Chatta TN | $2,035Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $2,713 | Pricier than 91% of hospitals | — | $2,713 |
| Tristar Summit Medical Center TN | $7,774Insurance typically pays $529Sticker price $7,774 | Pricier than 95% of hospitals | $529 | $7,774 |
| Parkridge Medical Center TN · Price file September 1, 2026 | $10,890Insurance typically pays $420Sticker price $10,890 | Highest price of any hospital | $420 | $10,890 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Hickman TN | —Insurance typically pays $373Sticker price — | — | $373 | — |
Procedure code 72148. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.