MRI lower back with and without contrast in Tennessee
Below is what hospitals in Tennessee charge if you pay cash, and the typical rate insurers negotiated.
Cash prices at 17 hospitals in Tennessee run from $654 to $15,484. The typical hospital charges $1,425. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $1,425
Cheaper than most hospitalsPricier than most hospitals
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Saint Thomas Stones River TN | $654Insurance typically pays $369Sticker price $1,768 | Lowest price of any hospital | $369 | $1,768 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $906Insurance typically pays $589Sticker price $6,038 | Cheaper than 94% of hospitals | $589 | $6,038 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital Union City TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $906Insurance typically pays $589Sticker price $6,038 | Cheaper than 94% of hospitals | $589 | $6,038 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital - Carroll County TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $906Insurance typically pays $589Sticker price $6,038 | Cheaper than 94% of hospitals | $589 | $6,038 |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital Tipton TN · Price file February 27, 2026 | $906Insurance typically pays $589Sticker price $6,038 | Cheaper than 94% of hospitals | $589 | $6,038 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West TN | $1,325Insurance typically pays $408Sticker price $4,417 | Cheaper than 69% of hospitals | $408 | $4,417 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown TN | $1,325Insurance typically pays $408Sticker price $4,417 | Cheaper than 69% of hospitals | $408 | $4,417 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas River Park TN | $1,357Insurance typically pays $438Sticker price $4,523 | Cheaper than 56% of hospitals | $438 | $4,523 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Dekalb TN | $1,425Insurance typically pays $448Sticker price $4,749 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $448 | $4,749 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands TN | $1,425Insurance typically pays $438Sticker price $4,749 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $438 | $4,749 |
| Methodist Hospitals Of Memphis Memphis, TN | $1,859Insurance typically pays $327Sticker price $8,449 | Pricier than 62% of hospitals | $327 | $8,449 |
| Starr Regional Medical Center Athens TN | $2,331Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $11,769 | Pricier than 69% of hospitals | — | $11,769 |
| Memorial Healthcare System, Inc Chattanooga, TN · Price file February 28, 2026 | $3,111Insurance typically pays $638Sticker price $7,355 | Pricier than 75% of hospitals | $638 | $7,355 |
| Southern Tennessee Regional Health System Pulaski TN | $3,227Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $11,073 | Pricier than 81% of hospitals | — | $11,073 |
| Southern Tennessee Regional Health System Lawrence TN | $3,717Insurance typically pays —Sticker price $14,897 | Pricier than 88% of hospitals | — | $14,897 |
| Parkridge Medical Center TN · Price file September 1, 2026 | $13,707Insurance typically pays $660Sticker price $13,707 | Pricier than 94% of hospitals | $660 | $13,707 |
| Tristar Summit Medical Center TN | $15,484Insurance typically pays $996Sticker price $15,484 | Highest price of any hospital | $996 | $15,484 |
| Ascension Saint Thomas Hickman TN | —Insurance typically pays $611Sticker price — | — | $611 | — |
Procedure code 72158. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.