Blue Shield of California lumbar spine MRI cost in California (2026): what Blue Shield of California pays
Blue Shield of California lumbar spine MRI cost in California, 2026: Blue Shield of California's California median for a lumbar spine MRI at doctors' offices and imaging centers is $318. By area, its median runs from $279 (Los Angeles) to $321 (San Francisco). That is below the typical rate, $416, across the insurers other than Anthem. Original Medicare pays $218 to $257.
Blue Shield of California rate by area
| Area | Blue Shield of California median, middle half | Billing entities | Typical (excl. Anthem) | Original Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $321 $279 to $430 | 59 | $368 | $252 |
| Oakland | $318 $296 to $607 | 46 | $496 | $252 |
| San Jose | $317 $289 to $545 | 84 | $423 | $257 |
| Los Angeles | $279 $279 to $366 | 242 | $402 | $218 |
Providers within 20 miles of each downtown. Typical (excl. Anthem): the middle of the insurer medians in that area, leaving out Anthem's rate menu.
Your plan's price
Blue Shield of California has many contracts, and your plan uses one of them. Most providers' rates fall in the middle half shown above; the rate for your plan can be higher or lower. For a plan-specific estimate, sign in to Blue Shield's Treatment Cost Estimator.
What you would actually pay
The negotiated rate is the total the provider is paid. Your share depends on your plan. If you have not met your deductible, you usually pay the whole negotiated rate: at a $318 rate, that is $318. Once the deductible is met, coinsurance applies: at 20% coinsurance you would pay $64 and the insurer the rest. Plans with a flat copay for this service charge the copay instead.
Going out of network is different. The provider has no agreed rate with your insurer, so they can usually bill their full listed price. Federal and California law limit that in emergencies, for out-of-network clinicians at in-network hospitals and surgery centers and, under California-regulated plans, at other in-network facilities such as imaging centers and labs. Many HMO and EPO plans pay nothing for out-of-network care.
About a lumbar spine MRI
An MRI of the lower back without contrast dye. It is the usual first MRI for back pain that has not improved, sciatica, or suspected disc problems. Billing code: CPT 72148.
What the price covers
- Rates here are for the whole service billed as one charge: the scan and the radiologist's reading.
- With contrast (CPT 72149) or without and then with contrast (72158) are different codes with different prices.
Where these numbers come from
Rates come from the price transparency files Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna publish. We clean the files before summarizing them and only show an insurer when enough providers report a rate. Medicare figures are from the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule. More on how these pages are built.