How Much Does an MRI Cost Without Health Insurance?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can cost between $351 to $2,804 with the average being $926 per scan due to several varying costs of the procedure. MRI procedures can be done for nearly every body part to help diagnose issues you may be experiencing, from chronic conditions to traumatic events. The price of an MRI can range depending on location, facility, body part, and insurance status. 

Many insurance companies often do not cover MRI unless you have an order from a medical provider and have hit your annual deductible. It is wise to shop for the lowest-price MRI scan if you have insurance but yet to hit your deductible this year.

How we collect our data: we pulled data from real patient bills within a 25-mile radius for each procedure. The average cost reflects the amount that patients were charged within that region. 

Average MRI Cost by City

The cost of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) typically ranges between $351 to $2,804  in the United States, while the national average is $926.56. Below you can find the average costs compared to national averages and the overall target fair price. 

• National Average: $926.56
• National Range: $351 to $2,804

Dallas, TX, surprisingly, has the highest average cost at $1,150.37, while Chicago, IL, offers the most affordable scans on average, at $695.30. Other major cities like New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA, also show high averages, exceeding $1,000. The data reflects notable price variations for MRI procedures across different urban areas in the United States.

Brain MRI Cost

A Brain MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a non-invasive diagnostic tool used to create detailed images of the brain and its surrounding structures. Physicians typically order a Brain MRI to diagnose or monitor conditions such as tumors, strokes, aneurysms, spinal cord injuries, and neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis. 

Cervical MRI Cost 

A Cervical MRI focuses on the neck and the base of the skull, providing detailed images of cervical spine structures, including intervertebral discs, spinal cord, and surrounding tissues. Physicians order this MRI to diagnose or evaluate conditions like herniated discs, spinal stenosis, tumors, and spinal injuries, as well as to monitor diseases such as multiple sclerosis or other degenerative spinal issues. 

Knee MRI Cost

A Knee MRI is a non-invasive imaging technique used to obtain detailed images of the structures within the knee joint, including bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Physicians often order this test to diagnose or assess injuries such as ACL tears, meniscus tears, fractures, and degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis.

Shoulder MRI Cost

A Shoulder MRI is an advanced imaging procedure that provides detailed images of the shoulder joint, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and cartilage. Physicians typically order it to diagnose conditions such as rotator cuff tears, impingement syndromes, labral tears, and arthritis, or to assess damage from shoulder dislocations

Abdominal MRI Cost

An Abdominal MRI is a diagnostic imaging technique that produces detailed images of the abdominal organs and structures, including the liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, and blood vessels. Physicians order an Abdominal MRI to diagnose or monitor conditions such as tumors, liver diseases, kidney disorders, and abdominal pain of unknown origin.

Pelvic MRI Cost

A Pelvic MRI provides comprehensive imaging of the pelvic region, including reproductive organs, bladder, lymph nodes, and surrounding soft tissues. It is commonly ordered by physicians to diagnose or evaluate conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, and prostate or ovarian issues.

Breast MRI Cost

A Breast MRI is a specialized imaging technique used to obtain detailed images of breast tissue. Physicians often order it for patients with a high risk of breast cancer, to evaluate abnormalities found in mammograms or physical exams, and to monitor the response to breast cancer treatment.

Heart MRI Cost

A Heart MRI, also known as a Cardiac MRI, is a sophisticated imaging technique that provides detailed images of the heart's structure and function. Physicians order it to assess conditions like congenital heart defects, heart tumors, and damage from heart attacks.

Factors that Influence the Cost of MRI

Many factors can affect the cost of your health services. For an MRI procedure, prices vary depending on where the MRI is taking place on your body. Additional factors that influence the cost of MRI include the facility setting, whether you have insurance, and your location.

Facility

As previously discussed, where you receive your procedure can influence the costs. MRIs are more expensive at inpatient facilities, such as hospitals than at outpatient facilities. Inpatient procedures are often more costly because these facilities require a more significant expense to maintain and may require additional supplies and services due to extended stays. 

Insurance Status

MRIs are typically covered by insurance, as they are considered diagnostic tests, but only when the procedure is deemed medically necessary. If your deductible has been met, you can expect to cover the copay. 

Location

The location where you live can impact the cost you can expect to pay for an MRI procedure. The region, state, and city you live in will determine the number of facilities you have to choose from. If you live in a more rural location, you may have fewer MRI facilities to choose from, increasing your costs. In a city with many facilities with many providers to choose from, you are more likely to find lower-cost options.

MRI Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below we have answered a few frequently asked questions to help you better understand MRI procedures. 

What is an MRI?

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine is a large, tube-shaped magnet that uses a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves to form detailed images of the organs and tissues in your body. These machines can also produce 3D images for viewing at different angles. Patients undergoing this procedure will lay down inside the MRI tube. 

Why and when do doctors recommend MRI?

According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors use MRIs to help diagnose various problems within the body. As the table above discussed, the costs can vary depending on where the procedure and the need for diagnosis are taking place. Since MRIs can diagnose complications through the entire body, below is a list of common diagnoses for the various types of procedures:

• Brain and spinal cord: aneurysms, eye, and ear disorders, multiple sclerosis, stroke, tumors, traumatic brain injury
• Heart and blood vessels: size and function of heart chambers, the extent of damage from heart attacks or heart disease, inflammation or blockages of blood vessels, structural problems of the aorta
• Bones and joints: joint abnormalities from trauma or repetitive use, spinal disk abnormalities, bone infections, tumors of the bones and soft tissues

Another type of MRI is called the functional MRI of the brain, which is used to examine the brain’s anatomy to determine where critical functions occur. FMRI can identify and assess damage from injury or disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease by viewing the language and movement control centers within the brain. 

What should I expect during an MRI?

Before entering the MRI machine, you will be asked to change into a gown to reduce any possibility of an external object that could impact the magnetic imaging, such as metal accessories. For example, you would be asked to remove jewelry, metal hair clips, watches, eyeglasses, hearing aids, underwire bras, and any cosmetics that may contain metal particles. To improve your MRI images, your MRI technologist may suggest a contrasting agent injected into a vein, such as gadolinium.

During the test, you will lay down on an open and moveable end of the MRI tube, then slide you into the machine. You often wear headphones and a microphone as the technologist watches from another room for their safety. 

If you typically feel anxious in tight spaces, you could be provided medication to help you feel less nervous, but most can manage without. If you are sedated due to claustrophobia, you should ensure you have someone to drive you home when done. These procedures are painless and typically last anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour, but you are expecting to remain still to not impact the resolution of the imaging. Depending on the MRI, you may be asked to perform certain tasks, such as in an fMRI to pinpoint the areas of the brain controlling the action. Once complete, you may resume your usual activities unless directed by your doctor otherwise.

Are there any risks associated with getting an MRI?

The MRI machine contains powerful magnets and can cause a safety hazard if presented with iron-containing objects in your body internally and externally. Before getting an MRI, you will determine whether you are eligible by answering a brief questionnaire about your medical history. Items that may create a health hazard during the procedure include: 

• Cardiac pacemakers or implantable defibrillators (ICDs)
• Vascular clips
• External or implanted medication pumps
• Cochlear implants
• Neurostimulation systems
• Catheters with metal components
• Bullets or shrapnel, or other fragments
• Metallic foreign body near or within the eye (more common in metal workers)

Diagnostic Radiologist Dr. Ben E. Paxton says that you should even remove your credit card and leave it outside the room. The large magnet of an MRI can easily corrupt information stored, as credit cards are magnetically encoded.

If you have any of these objects, you will want to speak with your doctor before undergoing the procedure. Some types of cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants, medication pumps, and neurostimulation systems are safe, so you must provide your MRI technologist with information regarding your implants. 

Who should avoid getting an MRI?

Those with metal implant devices, staples, or some tattoos with metal ink may require you to opt for another test. According to Dr. Paxton, those with kidney problems may have gadolinium contrast. The dye can cause nephrogenic fibrosis in people with kidney disease - thickening and hardening of tissue on the skin or joints. 

Dr. Paxton also recommends that women who have recently become pregnant avoid MRIs during the first trimester while the organs and tissues are still developing. While MRIs do not cause harm to the baby as it grows up, they can raise the body’s temperature. 

Bottom Line

The costs of MRI exams can vary depending on location, facility, and where the imaging is performed on the body. You will be expected to meet your deductible if you have insurance before your insurance kicks in for payment. Otherwise, you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket. While the national average range for these procedures is $375 to $2,850, a neck MRI or even a chest MRI may cost you upwards of $10,000.