Washington, DC · hospital rates, itemized

MRI of lower back (no contrast) at Children's National Hospital pediatric hospital

111 Michigan Avenue Nw, Washington, DC 20010. From the hospital's federally required price file (v3.0.0), file date April 2, 2026 — source file. Last verified by PriceCheck: July 16, 2026. CPT 72148.

$202
Cash price
$2,114
Median commercial
$404
Gross charge (list)

Median commercial rate here: $2,114 — 81% above the Washington, DC metro median of $1,171. Compare all Washington, DC hospitals →

Commercial insurance plans

Payer / planFacility rateRate type
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Virginia (Anthem)HMO (+2 same-rate plans) $144 negotiated rate
CignaOap $840 negotiated rate
AetnaCommercial $1,550 negotiated rate
CignaEPO $1,691 negotiated rate
Johns Hopkins HealthcareUsfhp $1,892 negotiated rate
Johns Hopkins HealthcareEHP $2,114 negotiated rate
Kaiser Foundation Health PlanCommercial $2,150 negotiated rate
CignaPPO $2,738 negotiated rate
United HealthcareAll Payer $3,221 negotiated rate
United HealthcareOptions PPO $3,554 negotiated rate
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Maryland (Carefirst)HMO (+1 same-rate plans) $5,696 negotiated rate

Medicaid plans

Payer / planFacility rateRate type
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Virginia (Anthem)Medicaid $169 negotiated rate
Aetna Better Health VaManaged Medicaid $190 negotiated rate
Sentara Health PlansManaged Medicaid $190 negotiated rate
Amerihealth DcManaged Medicaid $218 negotiated rate
Amerigroup DcManaged Medicaid $268 negotiated rate
Amerigroup MdManaged Medicaid $1,449 negotiated rate
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Maryland (Carefirst)Managed Medicaid $1,449 negotiated rate
Kaiser Foundation Health PlanManaged Medicaid $1,449 negotiated rate
United HealthcareManaged Medicaid $1,449 negotiated rate
Aetna Better Health MdManaged Medicaid $1,490 negotiated rate
Medstar Family ChoiceManaged Medicaid $1,570 negotiated rate
What these numbers are — and aren't. These are facility rates hospitals publish under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR Part 180). They are price information, not a quote or guarantee. Physician, anesthesia, radiology, and pathology services usually bill separately. Your actual cost depends on your insurance plan, deductible, and how the visit is coded. How we read hospital price files →

Common questions

How much does mri of lower back (no contrast) cost at Children's National Hospital without insurance?

Children's National Hospital's price file lists a discounted cash (self-pay) facility rate of $202 for MRI of lower back (no contrast), against a gross charge of $404. Facility rate only — physician, anesthesia, radiology, and pathology services bill separately.

What do insurance plans pay for mri of lower back (no contrast) at Children's National Hospital?

Children's National Hospital lists 11 commercial plan rates for MRI of lower back (no contrast), from $144 (Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Virginia (Anthem)) to $5,696 (Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Maryland (Carefirst)), with a median of $2,114. The Washington, DC metro median commercial rate for this procedure is $1,171.

Where do these prices come from?

Directly from the machine-readable file Children's National Hospital publishes under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR Part 180), file date April 2, 2026. These are price disclosures, not quotes.

Same procedure at nearby hospitals: The George Washington University Hospital · Holy Cross Hospital-Silver Spring · MedStar Washington Hospital Center · MedStar Georgetown Hospital · Virginia Hospital Center Arlington Health System · Inova Fairfax Hospital