Cost of a Lower Back MRI Visit
in Louisiana
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Louisiana's healthcare system faces unique challenges with limited Medicaid expansion and significant rural access gaps affecting specialty care costs. For a Lower Back MRI, patients typically pay between $59.62 and $701.50, with a median out-of-pocket cost of $355.54 based on negotiated insurance rates across 1,176 active providers statewide. Browse all Lower Back MRI providers throughout Louisiana to find the most affordable option for your specific location and insurance plan.
Average
$372
Median
$356
Lowest
$60
Highest
$702
Providers
1,176
3% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does mri lumbar spine compare to related procedures in Louisiana?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI Brain MRI of the brain with and without contrast | 70553 | $92 | $548 | $766 | 1,172 |
| MRI Knee MRI of the knee without contrast | 73721 | $55 | $327 | $429 | 1,325 |
| CT Abdomen & Pelvis CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast | 74177 | $66 | $201 | $424 | 1,112 |
| CT Chest CT scan of the chest with contrast | 71260 | $48 | $171 | $288 | 1,374 |
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.
Why Lower Back MRI Visit Costs Vary Across Louisiana
Louisiana's Lower Back MRI costs run approximately 1% above the national average, reflecting the state's mixed urban-rural healthcare landscape and concentrated insurer market. The state's unique geography, with population centers in New Orleans and Baton Rouge surrounded by rural parishes, creates distinct cost and access patterns for specialty imaging services.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
New Orleans and Baton Rouge metro areas contain most of Louisiana's 1,176 Lower Back MRI providers, while rural parishes often lack local imaging facilities entirely. Patients in northern Louisiana parishes may drive hours to reach the nearest MRI center, though rural facilities sometimes offer lower rates due to reduced overhead costs. This geographic concentration drives higher demand and pricing in urban markets.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Hospital-based outpatient imaging departments at Ochsner Health System and Our Lady of the Lake typically charge higher facility fees than independent radiology centers throughout Louisiana. Academic medical centers carry additional overhead for teaching and research missions, reflected in higher MRI costs. Freestanding imaging centers often provide the most competitive pricing in Louisiana's major metropolitan areas.
Insurance Market Competition in Louisiana
Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana holds significant market share alongside UnitedHealthcare and Aetna, creating moderate insurer competition that keeps negotiated rates relatively stable. This concentrated market means fewer negotiated rate variations compared to states with dozens of competing insurers. Limited insurer options in rural Louisiana parishes can result in higher out-of-pocket costs for patients with less competitive plans.
Physician Supply and Demand in Louisiana
With 1,176 active Lower Back MRI providers serving the state's 4.6 million residents, Louisiana maintains adequate radiologist supply in urban areas but faces shortages in rural regions. This uneven distribution creates longer wait times and potentially higher costs in underserved parishes. Urban markets benefit from provider competition that can drive down pricing for routine imaging studies.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions — Lower Back MRI Costs in Louisiana
What is the average cost of a Lower Back MRI visit in Louisiana without insurance?
Does Louisiana Medicaid cover Lower Back MRI visits?
How do I find an affordable Lower Back MRI near me in Louisiana?
What is the difference in cost between an initial consultation and a follow-up visit?
Can I use an HSA or FSA to pay for a Lower Back MRI visit in Louisiana?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a Lower Back MRI in Louisiana?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 72148)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska Range: $73 – $2,851 | $1,925 |
| 2 | Montana Range: $73 – $2,851 | $1,097 |
| 3 | Washington Range: $65 – $2,851 | $1,095 |
| 4 | Idaho Range: $65 – $2,851 | $1,068 |
| 5 | North Dakota Range: $145 – $2,450 | $987 |
| 6 | Minnesota Range: $88 – $2,450 | $969 |
| 7 | Wisconsin Range: $73 – $1,477 | $577 |
| 8 | Georgia Range: $69 – $949 | $416 |
| 9 | Nevada Range: $102 – $750 | $400 |
| 10 | Hawaii Range: $85 – $577 | $373 |
| 11 | Louisiana Range: $60 – $702 | $372 |
| 12 | Massachusetts Range: $74 – $590 | $344 |
| 13 | Maine Range: $116 – $659 | $344 |
| 14 | New Mexico Range: $62 – $720 | $323 |
| 15 | Wyoming Range: $65 – $663 | $320 |
| 16 | Nebraska Range: $129 – $477 | $310 |
| 17 | Colorado Range: $65 – $663 | $305 |
| 18 | Oregon Range: $88 – $447 | $301 |
| 19 | Utah Range: $65 – $603 | $298 |
| 20 | South Dakota Range: $142 – $368 | $293 |
| 21 | West Virginia Range: $79 – $418 | $289 |
| 22 | New Hampshire Range: $85 – $579 | $288 |
| 23 | North Carolina Range: $72 – $572 | $285 |
| 24 | Iowa Range: $85 – $513 | $284 |
| 25 | Illinois Range: $76 – $553 | $271 |
| 26 | Indiana Range: $64 – $554 | $269 |
| 27 | Vermont Range: $63 – $583 | $267 |
| 28 | Rhode Island Range: $65 – $527 | $261 |
| 29 | District of Columbia Range: $59 – $527 | $259 |
| 30 | Michigan Range: $67 – $527 | $258 |
| 31 | Tennessee Range: $72 – $499 | $253 |
| 32 | Virginia Range: $49 – $553 | $253 |
| 33 | Kentucky Range: $64 – $516 | $249 |
| 34 | Kansas Range: $71 – $502 | $244 |
| 35 | New York Range: $53 – $529 | $243 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania Range: $55 – $527 | $238 |
| 37 | South Carolina Range: $63 – $465 | $229 |
| 38 | Alabama Range: $59 – $452 | $223 |
| 39 | Oklahoma Range: $61 – $473 | $222 |
| 40 | Texas Range: $65 – $447 | $220 |
| 41 | New Jersey Range: $52 – $459 | $218 |
| 42 | Missouri Range: $76 – $415 | $218 |
| 43 | Maryland Range: $29 – $447 | $217 |
| 44 | Ohio Range: $49 – $457 | $214 |
| 45 | California Range: $72 – $470 | $213 |
| 46 | Mississippi Range: $58 – $447 | $213 |
| 47 | Delaware Range: $66 – $363 | $211 |
| 48 | Connecticut Range: $55 – $456 | $206 |
| 49 | Arkansas Range: $72 – $380 | $205 |
| 50 | Florida Range: $35 – $473 | $189 |
| 51 | Arizona Range: $65 – $356 | $181 |