Brain MRI Cost in Chicago, IL (2026): Negotiated Rates by Insurance Type

Across 15 hospitals in the Chicago, IL area that publish federally required price files, the median negotiated PPO rate is $2,558, the median HMO rate is $2,312, the median self-pay (cash) price is $2,332 for a MRI of the brain (without contrast). The Medicare outpatient baseline for the same procedure family is $356.

Source: hospital machine-readable files (45 CFR §180), file dates 2025-08-01 to 2026-07-22 · Medicare baseline: CMS OPPS Addendum B · Page built 2026-09-11

Median PPO
$2,558
negotiated rate
Median HMO
$2,312
negotiated rate
Median cash
$2,332
self-pay price
Medicare baseline
$356
CMS OPPS national
These are contract reference rates, not your bill. A plan-type median is not a quote for your specific plan or network. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance and network status. Rates shown are facility charges only — physician/radiologist fees are billed separately.
HospitalPPOHMOCommercialMedicare Adv.ACA ExchangeMedicareCashList (gross)
Roseland Community Hospital
Chicago · CMS 1★ · file updated 2026-07-01
$4711.3× Medicare$4711.3× Medicare$3741.1× Medicare$3741.1× Medicare$511$942
South Shore Hospital
Chicago · file updated n/a
$1,1293.2× Medicare$1,1043.1× Medicare$4441.2× Medicare$8862.5× Medicare$4401.2× Medicare$888
Swedish Hospital
Chicago · CMS 3★ · file updated 2026-04-01
$1,4184.0× Medicare$1,0633.0× Medicare$4261.2× Medicare
Elmhurst Memorial Hospital
Elmhurst · CMS 3★ · file updated 2026-04-01
$1,4784.2× Medicare$6021.7× Medicare$3741.1× Medicare
Edward Hospital
Naperville · CMS 3★ · file updated 2026-04-01
$1,4784.2× Medicare$6021.7× Medicare$3741.1× Medicare
Community First Medical Center
Chicago · CMS 2★ · file updated 2026-04-01
$1,5554.4× Medicare$1,4914.2× Medicare$1,5014.2× Medicare$3741.1× Medicare$3741.1× Medicare$2,280$4,560
Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center
Oak Lawn · CMS 3★ · file updated 2025-11-04
$2,4236.8× Medicare$2,0175.7× Medicare$1,6434.6× Medicare$5491.5× Medicare$1,915$3,830
Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital
Melrose Park · CMS 3★ · file updated n/a
$2,5587.2× Medicare$2,1356.0× Medicare$3871.1× Medicare$4371.2× Medicare$995$5,236
Rush Oak Park Hospital
Oak Park · CMS 4★ · file updated 2026-07-22
$2,6397.4× Medicare$2,3846.7× Medicare$1,5554.4× Medicare$4,76713.4× Medicare$5081.4× Medicare$2,384$4,767
Copley Memorial Hospital
Aurora · CMS 4★ · file updated 2026-07-22
$2,8107.9× Medicare$2,4716.9× Medicare$1,5674.4× Medicare$5,44215.3× Medicare$9292.6× Medicare$2,721$5,442
Loyola University Medical Center
Maywood · CMS 2★ · file updated n/a
$3,2919.2× Medicare$2,4226.8× Medicare$3831.1× Medicare$4781.3× Medicare$1,204$5,236
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago · CMS 5★ · file updated 2026-07-22
$3,60910.1× Medicare$2,9168.2× Medicare$1,6764.7× Medicare$4,78113.4× Medicare$5081.4× Medicare$2,391$4,781
University Of Illinois Hospital And Clinics
Chicago · CMS 4★ · file updated 2025-08-01
$5,43215.3× Medicare$3,1208.8× Medicare$3721.0× Medicare$3721.0× Medicare$5,432$7,760
Ann & Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital Of Chicago
Chicago · file updated 2026-04-01
$5,87616.5× Medicare$5,87616.5× Medicare$1,8835.3× Medicare$4,570$6,529
Insight Hospital And Medical Center Chicago
Chicago · CMS 1★ · file updated 2026-06-25
$2,2406.3× Medicare$1,9205.4× Medicare$2,560$3,200

Each figure is the median of that hospital's published rates for the procedure's code family under that plan type. "×Medicare" compares to the CMS national outpatient rate. Blank cells mean the hospital's file discloses no dollar rate for that plan type.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a brain MRI cost with insurance?
It depends on your plan type and hospital. In this metro, median negotiated rates in published hospital files range from the Medicare rate (baseline) to several times that amount for PPO plans. Your actual out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible and coinsurance.
Why is the cash price sometimes lower than the insurance rate?
Hospitals set self-pay discounts independently of insurer contracts. In several published files the cash price is below the median PPO negotiated rate — if you have a high deductible, asking for the cash price can be worth it.
What is the Medicare rate shown here?
It is the national Medicare outpatient payment rate (CMS OPPS Addendum B) for the same procedure family, shown as a government baseline so you can see each hospital's multiple of it.

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