MRI Cost: Prices With & Without Insurance

An MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging scan, produces detailed images of organs, bones, and soft tissue. The same scan can carry very different prices depending on where it is done, who is billing, and how you pay.

Figures on this page are published estimates, checked on Oct 12, 2026. Your actual cost can differ, especially with insurance, where your out-of-pocket amount depends on your plan.

GoodRx reports a range of $400 – $12,000 nationally. The very wide spread is the main point: the highest price is many times the lowest for a similar scan. A hospital outpatient department, an independent imaging center, and a clinic may all charge differently for the same exam.

Because of that spread, the most useful step is to price the exact scan your doctor ordered at more than one facility, instead of relying on a national average.

Price varies by the area scanned. These ranges come from the same GoodRx guide.

Brain and spine scans tend to sit at the higher end in this list, while a scan of a bone or joint starts lower. A scan with contrast dye may cost more than one without, so ask whether the quote assumes contrast. Your doctor decides which scan you need and whether contrast is part of it.

Sidecar Health reports average cash prices by state. These are state averages for the scan itself and do not include the doctor's fee or anesthesia, which can be billed separately.

California and New York sit near each other. Texas and Florida are lower in this source. Prices inside one state can vary a great deal from one facility to the next, so a state average is only a starting point.

The same source reports spine MRI averages for three states.

The same limits apply: these are cash averages for the scan, with the doctor's fee and anesthesia not included.

Keep in mind that a quote for the scan may not cover the radiologist who reads it. Ask what the price includes, so the figure you compare matches across facilities.

If you pay out of pocket, the price you are first quoted is not always the lowest available. A few steps may help:

• Ask the facility for its cash or self-pay price, and ask whether it is lower than the billed price.
• Request the price for the specific scan, including contrast if it applies.
• Ask whether the radiologist's reading fee is included or billed separately.
• Compare an independent imaging center with a hospital. Prices may differ.
• Ask about payment plans or a discount for paying at the time of service.

Hospitals and many other providers must publish their prices, so you can often look up a facility's listed charges before you call.

With insurance, what you pay depends on your plan's deductible, copay, and coinsurance, and on whether the facility is in your network. Many plans require prior authorization for an MRI, which means the insurer must approve the scan before it is done. Without it, a claim may be denied.

Before the appointment:

• Call your insurer and ask whether prior authorization is needed.
• Confirm that the facility and the radiologist are both in network.
• Ask what you have left on your deductible.
• Ask for an estimate of your out-of-pocket cost for the scan code.

An in-network imaging center can be cheaper for you than a hospital, even when the plan treats both as covered. Your insurer can tell you.

• Body part and scan type. Larger or more complex studies cost more.
• Contrast. A scan with contrast may carry an added charge.
• Facility. Hospital outpatient departments and independent centers may bill differently.
• Location. State and local market prices vary, as the state tables show.
• Separate fees. The radiologist's reading and any anesthesia may be billed on their own.
• Insurance status and network. These affect your share of the cost.