CPT 72148: MRI, Lumbar Spinal Canal and Contents, No Contrast
Medicare pays $133 and commercial payers pay $537 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 72148 describes a diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spinal canal and its contents performed without contrast, a non-invasive radiologic service used to evaluate structures of the lower spine; service type: diagnostic MRI, typical site of service: hospital outpatient radiology department or freestanding imaging center.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Lumbar Microdiscectomy, Artificial Cervical Intervertebral Disc, Lumbar Decompression.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial averages sit substantially above Medicare: Blue Cross Blue Shield and BUCA averages are $759.70 and $536.60 respectively, versus Medicare’s mean of $132.90, indicating commercial reimbursements often exceed Medicare by multiples. That gap highlights where negotiated commercial contracts concentrate reimbursement well north of the $132.90 Medicare baseline.
Dispersion varies by payer. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows a P75–P25 spread of $617.60 (from $615.70 to $874.30), the widest among listed payers, while Aetna’s spread is $191.60 (from $90.20 to $290.60), one of the tightest. UnitedHealth Group and Cigna have intermediate spreads of $211.60 and $238.10 respectively. BUCA’s interquartile spread is $248.00 and Medicare’s IQR is $112.50, indicating Medicare reimbursements are comparatively concentrated around their median.