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.

Brain MRI Cost in Houston, TX (2026): Negotiated Rates by Insurance Type

Across 11 hospitals in the Houston, TX area that publish federally required price files, the median negotiated PPO rate is $890, the median HMO rate is $1,998, the median self-pay (cash) price is $4,120 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 2024-01-01 to 2026-04-15 · Medicare baseline: CMS OPPS Addendum B · Page built 2026-09-11

Median PPO

$890

negotiated rate

Median HMO

$1,998

negotiated rate

Median cash

$4,120

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.

Hospital	PPO	HMO	Commercial	Medicare Adv.	ACA Exchange	Medicare	Cash	List (gross)
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown · CMS 5★ · file updated 2026-04-01	$8542.4× Medicare	—	$1,8005.1× Medicare	$3751.1× Medicare	$6361.8× Medicare	$3611.0× Medicare	—	—
Houston Methodist Sugarland Hospital Sugar Land · CMS 5★ · file updated 2026-04-01	$8542.4× Medicare	—	$1,8005.1× Medicare	$3751.1× Medicare	$6361.8× Medicare	$3611.0× Medicare	—	—
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston · CMS 5★ · file updated 2026-04-01	$8542.4× Medicare	—	$1,8005.1× Medicare	$3751.1× Medicare	$6361.8× Medicare	$3611.0× Medicare	—	—
Houston Methodist West Hospital Houston · CMS 5★ · file updated 2026-04-01	$8542.4× Medicare	—	$1,4023.9× Medicare	$3751.1× Medicare	$6361.8× Medicare	$3611.0× Medicare	—	—
Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands · CMS 5★ · file updated 2026-04-01	$8542.4× Medicare	—	$1,8005.1× Medicare	$3751.1× Medicare	$5711.6× Medicare	$3591.0× Medicare	—	—
Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital Houston · file updated 2026-04-15	$8902.5× Medicare	$6111.7× Medicare	—	—	—	—	$2,100	$6,000
St Luke'S Hospital At The Vintage Houston · CMS 4★ · file updated 2026-02-28	$2,6657.5× Medicare	$1,9985.6× Medicare	$7,65121.5× Medicare	—	$5511.5× Medicare	$3631.0× Medicare	$4,120	$11,770
St Luke'S Patients Medical Center Pasadena · CMS 3★ · file updated 2026-02-28	$2,8127.9× Medicare	$1,9985.6× Medicare	$8,38523.6× Medicare	—	$5581.6× Medicare	$3651.0× Medicare	$4,891	$13,975
St Luke'S Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land · CMS 3★ · file updated 2026-02-28	$2,8127.9× Medicare	$1,9985.6× Medicare	$7,65121.5× Medicare	—	$5511.5× Medicare	$3651.0× Medicare	$4,120	$11,770
Texas Childrens Hospital Houston · file updated 2024-01-01	$5,02614.1× Medicare	—	$4,31712.1× Medicare	—	—	—	$4,132	$6,167
St Luke'S The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands · CMS 3★ · file updated 2026-02-28	$7,65121.5× Medicare	$1,9985.6× Medicare	$7,06219.8× Medicare	—	$5511.5× Medicare	$3631.0× Medicare	$4,120	$11,770

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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