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I need an MRI
An MRI of the brain, without contrast dye.
Typical US price before insurance
$1,131
$743typical range$1,842
This is an allowed amount — the price actually negotiated with insurers, not the inflated list price. Source: Health Care Cost Institute — HealthPrices.org (2021–2022 vintage (HCCI does not publish the exact data year)).
A lumbar spine MRI is similar, averaging $1,112. MRI prices vary more by where you go than almost any other procedure.
What you'd actually pay
—
Where you live
$1,131
The national average price.
State prices from RAND's hospital price study — how much your state's hospitals charge private insurers relative to Medicare. This is a statewide price level, not a per-procedure state price. Maryland isn't shown: it sets hospital rates for all payers, so the comparison doesn't apply there.
This is an estimate, not a bill. It applies published average deductibles and a 20% coinsurance
(KFF's measured average for a hospital admission) to a national average price. Your actual plan, hospital and
diagnosis will move this number. Not medical or financial advice.