MRI price finder: self-pay MRI prices at hospitals near you
Facts last checked . Rules last checked , reviewed by Harsha Moole, MD
This free finder is for anyone who may pay cash for an MRI at a hospital. Before the test, or before you pay, ask the hospital if it can lower or forgive your bill, even if you have no insurance. Many people qualify and do not know it.
Find hospitals near you
Type your ZIP code and pick the scan.
Prices near you will show here.
Nothing you typed is saved.
Have insurance? Compare this cash price with what insurance plans pay each hospital: cash and insurance prices for an MRI near you.
Before you pay cash
- Ask the hospital about financial assistance first. Nonprofit hospitals must have a written financial assistance policy for emergency and other medically necessary care. Hospital financial assistance (charity care).
- Know your rights when you pay cash. If you do not use insurance, you can ask for a written Good Faith Estimate before a scheduled test or visit. If a hospital or doctor bills you at least $400 more than its estimate, you can dispute the bill through a federal process. Start within 120 days of the date on the first bill. Starting a dispute costs $25. Know your rights when you pay cash (Good Faith Estimate).
Read this before you use these prices
- These are the prices hospitals posted for people who pay cash. They are not a quote.
- The price is for the hospital's part of the bill only. The radiologist, the doctor who reads your scan, often sends a separate bill.
- Call the hospital to confirm the price before you go.
- Ask for a written cost estimate, called a good faith estimate. Our good faith estimate guide explains how to ask.
- For more ways to pay less, read our MRI cost guide.
What to do next
- Worried about a hospital bill? Get help with hospital bills
- Paying cash for a test or scan? Know your rights when you pay cash (Good Faith Estimate)
- Not sure what fits you? Answer a few questions and get your plan
How to use these prices
A hospital can post a cash price, also called a self-pay price, for each scan it does. That is the price for a person who pays on their own and does not use insurance. Since 2021, a federal rule has required every hospital to post its prices online. The files can be hard to read, so we read them for you.
Use the list to pick two or three places to call. Ask each one for the self-pay price for the exact scan, and ask whether the price includes the radiologist's reading. Then ask for the answer in writing. Our MRI cost guide walks through each step.
An imaging center that does only scans may charge less than a hospital, so call one of those too. This tool lists hospitals only.
Where this page gets its facts
- Prices: each hospital's own price file, read in October 2026. The tool shows only prices that passed the checks in our price library methods.
- Hospital addresses: Hospital General Information file, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- ZIP code points: the U.S. Census Bureau 2026 ZCTA Gazetteer file.
- The middle price for a state and for the whole country is the same number we show on our state price pages and in our MRI cost guide.
A hospital appears here only if it posted a usable cash price for the scan you picked. Maryland hospitals are not listed, because their files post MRI scans in units of work and not one price per scan. Federal hospitals, such as VA and military hospitals, are left out.
We are not connected to these hospitals. The prices come from their own files, and we may make mistakes. If you see one, please tell us through our contact page.
More price finders
Each finder works the same way. Type your ZIP code and see what the closest hospitals posted.
- CT scan price finder: Head CT and belly and pelvis CT.
- X-ray price finder: Chest X-ray.
- Ultrasound price finder: Belly and pregnancy ultrasound.
- Mammogram price finder: Screening mammogram.
- Blood test price finder: Common blood and urine tests.
- Colonoscopy price finder: Colonoscopy, with what Medicare pays and places that list a cash price.
Using this with a client
Ask for the client's ZIP code and the test their doctor ordered, then pick the closest match on the list. If it is not listed, the client can call the hospital with the billing code from the doctor's order. Print the list or take a screenshot. Before the test, help them ask the hospital for financial help and for a written Good Faith Estimate. If they already got a bill, they can usually still apply for financial help. If they have no coverage, run the Medicaid and coverage check too.
Questions about MRI cash prices
How much is an MRI without insurance near me?
It depends on the body part and on the hospital. In our 2026 files, the US middle posted cash price for a brain MRI without contrast was $1,857, and the middle half of hospitals posted between $1,121 and $2,878. A lower back MRI without contrast was $1,922, and a knee MRI without contrast was $1,844. Type your ZIP code above to see the hospitals near you.
Why do hospital MRI cash prices vary so much?
Much of the gap comes from where the scan happens. One study of 57 services paid for by job-based insurance found that every service cost more in a hospital outpatient department than in a doctor's office. In 2022 the gap ranged from 1.27 times to 13.5 times. That study covered many services and was not about MRI alone. The body part matters too, and so does contrast, a dye given through a vein that makes some tissues easier to see.
Does the price include the radiologist?
Usually the price does not include it. These numbers cover the hospital's part of the bill only. The radiologist, the doctor who reads the pictures, usually sends a separate bill. When you call, ask whether the price includes the radiologist's reading.
How do I get the cash price for an MRI?
Get the order first, with the exact scan named. Then ask the scheduling desk for the self-pay price and the billing code for that scan. Ask whether the price includes the radiologist's reading, and write down the name and the price. Ask for the quote in writing. You can also ask for a written good faith estimate. Federal law says a provider usually must give you one when you are not using insurance and you schedule at least 3 business days ahead.
Is an imaging center cheaper than a hospital?
It may be cheaper. A freestanding imaging center, which is a business that only does scans, may charge less than a hospital, so call both and ask for the self-pay price in writing. This tool lists hospitals only, so it cannot tell you what an imaging center charges.
Is my ZIP code saved?
No, we do not save it. The search runs on your device. Your browser asks our website for a small file of ZIP code points that is named with only the first three digits of your ZIP code. It also asks for the price lists of the states near you. Our website never gets your full ZIP code.
More free tools
This tool shows prices that hospitals posted in public files. It is not a quote. If you have a medical emergency, call 911.