MRI lower back with and without contrast in Pennsylvania
Below is what hospitals in Pennsylvania charge if you pay cash, and the typical rate insurers negotiated.
Cash prices at 18 hospitals in Pennsylvania run from $356 to $6,187. The typical hospital charges $1,339. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $1,339
Cheaper than most hospitalsPricier than most hospitals
20 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 | $356Insurance typically pays $374Sticker price $5,552 | Lowest price of any hospital | $374 | $5,552 |
| Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA | $592Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $1,786 | Cheaper than 94% of hospitals | — | $1,786 |
| WellSpan York Hospital PA | $700Insurance typically pays $1,282Sticker price $2,646 | Cheaper than 88% of hospitals | $1,282 | $2,646 |
| WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital PA | $700Insurance typically pays $1,282Sticker price $2,646 | Cheaper than 88% of hospitals | $1,282 | $2,646 |
| WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital PA | $700Insurance typically pays $1,282Sticker price $2,646 | Cheaper than 88% of hospitals | $1,282 | $2,646 |
| WellSpan Gettysburg Hospital PA | $700Insurance typically pays $1,282Sticker price $2,646 | Cheaper than 88% of hospitals | $1,282 | $2,646 |
| WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital PA | $700Insurance typically pays $1,282Sticker price $2,646 | Cheaper than 88% of hospitals | $1,282 | $2,646 |
| WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital PA | $700Insurance typically pays $1,282Sticker price $2,646 | Cheaper than 88% of hospitals | $1,282 | $2,646 |
| WellSpan Waynesboro Hospital PA | $700Insurance typically pays $1,282Sticker price $2,646 | Cheaper than 88% of hospitals | $1,282 | $2,646 |
| Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center PA | $1,978Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $4,946 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | — | $4,946 |
| Conemaugh Miners Medical Center PA | $1,978Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $4,946 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | — | $4,946 |
| Conemaugh Meyersdale Medical Center PA | $1,978Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $4,946 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | — | $4,946 |
| Conemaugh Nason Medical Center PA | $1,978Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $4,946 | Pricier than 53% of hospitals | — | $4,946 |
| Main Line Hospital Lankenau Wynnewood, PA · Price file April 1, 2026 | $3,330Insurance typically pays $428Sticker price $8,326 | Pricier than 76% of hospitals | $428 | $8,326 |
| Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital PA | $3,524Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $5,035 | Pricier than 82% of hospitals | — | $5,035 |
| Geisinger Medical Center PA | $4,409Insurance typically pays $366Sticker price $7,111 | Pricier than 88% of hospitals | $366 | $7,111 |
| Reading Hospital - Transplant Center PA | $5,754Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $8,220 | Pricier than 94% of hospitals | — | $8,220 |
| Chester County Hospital West Chester, PA · Price file October 21, 2026 | $6,187Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $6,187 | Highest price of any hospital | — | $6,187 |
| John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation PA | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $986 | — | — | $986 |
| Allied Services Institute of Rehabilitation PA | —Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $986 | — | — | $986 |
Procedure code 72158. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.