US Health Care Costs

MRI of the abdomen, without contrast

CPT 74181 · Scans and imaging · hospital facility charge

At the 175 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $1,930, and most charge between $549 and $10,343 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$1,930typical cash price
$1,238typical commercial insurer rate
$3,621typical list price
175hospitals in 36 states so far
Typical cash price by state

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$600$600$600$352
Arizona2$2,551$641$4,462$560
California16$3,305$549$21,995$490
Colorado1$1,506$1,506$1,506$1,334
Delaware1$2,847$2,847$2,847$1,108
Florida16$5,859$904$22,990$2,607
Georgia7$1,520$919$4,587$788
Iowa1$3,660$3,660$3,660$629
Idaho2$1,857$1,857$1,857$1,978
Illinois9$3,380$1,260$5,697$1,591
Indiana3$868$758$1,068$929
Kansas3$16,374$12,852$19,895$2,113
Kentucky2$1,013$971$1,055$1,244
Massachusetts4$3,248$2,649$3,384$797
Maryland3$697$437$902–
Michigan3$328$328$3,636$392
Minnesota1$753$753$753$1,355
Missouri6$1,357$682$2,111$928
Mississippi1$1,390$1,390$1,390$528
North Carolina6$1,839$1,250$2,837$1,756
Nebraska1$1,237$1,237$1,237$981
New Jersey10$323$268$669$605
Nevada1$8,967$8,967$8,967$518
New York3$1,675$890$2,310$590
Ohio10$1,033$141$2,048$436
Oklahoma3$2,051$986$2,074$1,210
Oregon1$2,886$2,886$2,886$299
Pennsylvania11$1,976$269$6,214$954
South Carolina5$2,447$1,864$10,460$1,555
South Dakota1$3,511$3,511$3,511$2,414
Tennessee3$5,669$1,364$9,973$494
Texas26$6,970$911$30,621$1,651
Utah2$2,866$2,633$3,098$2,969
Virginia7$1,626$1,626$8,869$1,751
Washington2$1,740$1,084$2,396$746
Wisconsin1$2,210$2,210$2,210$1,257
175 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does MRI of the abdomen, without contrast cost at a hospital?

At 168 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for MRI of the abdomen, without contrast is $1,930, and most charge between $549 and $10,343. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $1,238. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for MRI of the abdomen, without contrast?

At 37 of the 158 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

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