All procedures / MRI
How much does an MRI cost?NPI VERIFIED
It depends on the body part. Without insurance, hospitals that publish a self-pay price list a median of $1,742 for the neck to $2,552 for the brain. With insurance, the median rate hospitals negotiated runs from $528 for the lower back to $799 for the brain, across 1,177–1,191 US hospitals that publish federally required price files. Hospitals disagree more than the MRI types do: for the lower back, the priciest tenth negotiated more than $2,544, 11.0× the cheapest tenth (under $232).
MRI prices by body part, side by side
Lower Back MRI →CPT 72148 · 1,186 hospitals$528middle half $285–$1,453cash $1,776 · 2.2× MedicareNeck MRI →CPT 72141 · 1,177 hospitals$533middle half $290–$1,462cash $1,742 · 2.2× MedicareKnee MRI →CPT 73721 · 1,191 hospitals$567middle half $304–$1,462cash $1,754 · 2.3× MedicareBrain MRI →CPT 70553 · 1,185 hospitals$799middle half $420–$2,100cash $2,552 · 2.2× Medicare$0$1,500$3,000
middle half of hospitalsmedian insurance ratemedian cash priceMedicare rate · one shared scale, $0–$3,000
Codes Lower Back MRI 72148 · Neck MRI 72141 · Knee MRI 73721 · Brain MRI 70553 · Source: hospital machine-readable files (45 CFR §180), file dates 2022-11-12 to 2026-09-28 · Medicare baseline: CMS OPPS Addendum B, July 2026 · Data extracted 2026-10-06 · Page updated 2026-10-15
Insurance rate
$528–$799
median by body part · 4 MRI types
Without insurance
$1,742–$2,552
median cash price by body part
Cash ÷ insurance
3.1×–3.4×
median cash price over median negotiated rate
Medicare baseline
$244–$356
CMS OPPS national · July 2026
These are contract reference rates, not your bill. A median across hospitals is not a quote for your plan or network. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance and network status.
This is the hospital's facility fee. The radiologist who reads the images bills separately.
Coverage: 1,177–1,191 of the 5,419 hospitals in the CMS roster have an identity-verified price file with these services in our data. It is not a random sample, and a hospital missing here has not been judged non-compliant — we may simply not have its file yet. Up to 88 of these hospital files were more than 12 months old at extraction; we keep the figures and say so.
Each MRI, by state and insurance type
Reuse: the price statistics on this page are licensed CC BY 4.0 — use them for anything, including commercial work, crediting "HospitalPriceGrid (ArtiLabs)". Site text, design and paid data extracts are not covered.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an MRI cost without insurance?
- Hospitals that publish a self-pay (cash) price list a median of $1,742 for the neck up to $2,552 for the brain (915–931 hospitals list one, depending on the body part). That is the hospital's facility charge — the radiologist who reads the images bills separately. Freestanding imaging centers aren't in these hospital files and are often cheaper for self-pay patients.
- How much does an MRI cost with insurance?
- With insurance, the hospital's negotiated rate is what your plan is billed. Median negotiated rates run from $528 for the lower back to $799 for the brain. Until you meet your deductible you typically pay that negotiated amount; after it, your coinsurance or copay applies. Your plan's own rate can sit above or below these figures.
- Which MRI costs the most?
- Of the 4 MRI types here, the brain has the highest median negotiated rate ($799) and the brain the highest median cash price ($2,552); the lower back has the lowest negotiated rate ($528). Each one has its own page with state and insurance-type breakdowns.
- Why does the same MRI cost so differently from hospital to hospital?
- Each hospital negotiates separately with each insurer. For the lower back, the priciest tenth of hospitals negotiated more than $2,544 — 11.0 times the cheapest tenth (under $232).
- Is the cash price cheaper than using insurance?
- Usually not, but sometimes. Median cash prices here are 3.1×–3.4× the median negotiated rates. Still, at 23%–24% of the hospitals that list a cash price (depending on the body part), it is lower than that hospital's own median negotiated rate. If you have a high deductible, ask the hospital for its self-pay price before you book.
- What is the Medicare rate shown here?
- It is the CMS national outpatient (OPPS) payment rate (July 2026): $244–$356 depending on the body part. We show it as a government baseline: median negotiated rates are 2.2–2.3 times it.
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