Cost of a Lower Back MRI Visit
in Oakland
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Oakland's healthcare market reflects the broader Bay Area landscape, with established medical centers serving diverse communities across Alameda County. Patients in Oakland pay between $71 and $502 for a Lower Back MRI visit, with a median cost of $85. Currently, there are 0 active providers in our network (0 individual practitioners and 0 group practices).
Cost Summary for Lower Back MRI in Oakland
Low Estimate
$71
Median
$85
High Estimate
$502
Providers
148
78% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does mri lumbar spine compare to related procedures in California?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI Brain MRI of the brain with and without contrast | 70553 | $55 | $85 | $654 | 9,774 |
| MRI Knee MRI of the knee without contrast | 73721 | $75 | $80 | $505 | 10,126 |
| CT Abdomen & Pelvis CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast | 74177 | $70 | $85 | $672 | 15,496 |
| CT Chest CT scan of the chest with contrast | 71260 | $25 | $85 | $521 | 10,242 |
Important: These are cost estimates only — not a quote and not medical advice.
The prices on this page are self-pay rates, drawn from federal Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files (CPT 72148 — MRI lumbar spine without contrast). They represent what a patient might pay without insurance.
Your actual cost depends on: your specific insurance plan, your remaining deductible, your coinsurance percentage, whether you have met your out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility and provider are both in-network, and any separate anesthesia or implant fees billed independently.
This page does not constitute medical advice. Whether you need this procedure, and which approach is right for you, is a decision to make with a licensed healthcare provider.
Where this data comes from & what CPT 72148 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 72148 (MRI lumbar spine without contrast), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 72148 covers: the provider's professional fee for mri lumbar spine. It does not include facility/hospital fees, anesthesia, pre-operative imaging, post-operative care, or any add-on codes billed separately.
How to read this data
Negotiated Rate
The discounted price an insurer has agreed to pay a specific provider. Most insured patients' bills are calculated from this number, not the higher list price hospitals publish separately.
P5, Median, P95
P5 is the rate at the 5th percentile (low end), Median is the middle value, and P95 is the 95th percentile (high end). This range shows how much the same visit can vary between providers.
What this does not tell you
These rates do not tell you what you personally will pay out of pocket. That depends on your specific plan, how much of your deductible you have already met, your coinsurance rate, and whether the provider is in your network. Call your insurer's member line to get your exact estimate.
Is It Cheaper to See a Lower Back MRI Near Oakland?
Oakland offers competitive pricing compared to nearby Bay Area cities, with a median cost of $85 that significantly undercuts regional alternatives. San Francisco, just 8.3 miles away, has a median cost of $148, making Oakland $63 less expensive for the same services. Hayward, 14 miles southeast, costs $269 more than Oakland with a median of $354, while Fremont at 23.5 miles away charges $35 more with a median of $120.
| City | Median Cost | vs. Oakland | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland (this city) | $85 | — | 148 |
| San Francisco8.3 mi away | $148 | +$63 | 173 |
| Hayward14 mi away | $354 | +$269 | 10 |
| Fremont23.5 mi away | $120 | +$35 | 152 |
Nearby cities sorted by distance. Delta = nearby city median minus Oakland median. Provider count reflects active providers for this specialty.
Lower Back MRI Visit Costs by City in California — 2026
| City | Min Cost | Median Cost | Max Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tustin | $80 | $368 | $699 |
| Roseville | $80 | $368 | $1,976 |
| Thousand Oaks | $102 | $368 | $565 |
| Hayward | $80 | $354 | $368 |
| Travis Afb | $65 | $249 | $599 |
| South Lake Tahoe | $149 | $225 | $669 |
| La Jolla | $79 | $216 | $543 |
| West Hollywood | $80 | $206 | $712 |
| San Ramon | $62 | $197 | $381 |
| Santa Monica | $63 | $177 | $652 |
| Beverly Hills | $56 | $177 | $501 |
| Duarte | $80 | $173 | $1,243 |
| Loma Linda | $74 | $168 | $461 |
| San Leandro | $75 | $156 | $442 |
| Morgan Hill | $77 | $155 | $340 |
| Los Angeles | $54 | $154 | $501 |
| San Francisco | $71 | $148 | $447 |
| San Diego | $73 | $148 | $553 |
| Sacramento | $65 | $144 | $527 |
| Santa Rosa | $78 | $133 | $387 |
| Santa Clara | $80 | $129 | $356 |
| Anaheim | $65 | $128 | $408 |
| Torrance | $66 | $125 | $374 |
| Santa Barbara | $51 | $124 | $409 |
| Merced | $65 | $123 | $798 |
| Fremont | $80 | $120 | $368 |
| Pleasanton | $80 | $120 | $368 |
| Los Alamitos | $80 | $120 | $406 |
| Los Altos | $67 | $113 | $447 |
| San Jose | $80 | $111 | $340 |
| Madera | $80 | $111 | $160 |
| Fresno | $65 | $111 | $1,223 |
| Mountain View | $80 | $111 | $368 |
| Stockton | $70 | $111 | $888 |
| Milpitas | $111 | $111 | $340 |
| Clovis | $65 | $111 | $188 |
| Riverside | $69 | $103 | $525 |
| Bakersfield | $10 | $96 | $431 |
| San Mateo | $80 | $96 | $570 |
| Mission Viejo | $54 | $96 | $431 |
| Newport Beach | $67 | $89 | $435 |
| Oakland (this city) | $71 | $85 | $502 |
| Walnut Creek | $80 | $85 | $474 |
| Berkeley | $54 | $85 | $149 |
| Livermore | $51 | $85 | $302 |
| Stanford | $80 | $80 | $356 |
| Palo Alto | $80 | $80 | $299 |
| Irvine | $68 | $80 | $373 |
| Redwood City | $65 | $80 | $221 |
| Menlo Park | $80 | $80 | $188 |
| Costa Mesa | $80 | $80 | $80 |
| Sunnyvale | $80 | $80 | $340 |
| Modesto | $73 | $80 | $340 |
| Alameda | $80 | $80 | $120 |
| Laguna Hills | $35 | $80 | $347 |
| Fountain Valley | $60 | $80 | $181 |
| Fullerton | $64 | $80 | $385 |
| Burlingame | $80 | $80 | $1,052 |
| Emeryville | $80 | $80 | $80 |
| Castro Valley | $45 | $80 | $108 |
Costs reflect self-pay estimates based on insurer-negotiated rates. Insured patients may pay significantly less depending on plan type, deductible status, and network tier.
Jayant Panwar
CEO, Momentary Labs · San Francisco, CA
Jayant has analyzed healthcare pricing data from CMS Transparency in Coverage files since 2022, covering more than 50 million negotiated rate records across all 50 states. His work focuses on making insurer machine-readable files accessible to patients and researchers.
The cost figures on this page reflect his ongoing work to make this data accessible to patients.