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PricedCare

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Atlanta, GA costs $2,730 to $6,374. Here's every hospital's price.

9 hospitals in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area publish a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, 9 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $2,730 at Tanner Medical Center - Carrollton, the median is $3,050 and the highest is $6,374 at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. The most expensive hospital lists 2.3 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Atlanta, GA median of $3,050 is 41% above the national median of $2,156 across 545 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

9 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $348 to $6,374. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between March 2026 and May 2026. 32 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$2,730
lowest cash price in Atlanta, GA
Tanner Medical Center - Carrollton · 41 mi
$320 below the median
$3,050
median cash price
9 hospitals
2.3×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
9/41
hospitals with a cash price
32 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Tanner Medical Center - Carrollton

Carrollton · 41 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,730
list $6,824 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Tanner Medical Center Villa Rica

Villa Rica · 30 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,730
list $6,824 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Emory University Hospital

Atlanta · 6 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,050
list $3,050 · lowest of 4 lines
4
Emory Decatur Hospital

Decatur · 8 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,050
list $3,050 · lowest of 4 lines
5
Emory University Hospital Midtown

Atlanta · 3 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,050
list $3,050 · lowest of 4 lines
6
Emory Hillandale Hospital

Lithonia · 14 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,050
list $3,050 · lowest of 4 lines
7
Emory Johns Creek Hospital

Johns Creek · 26 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,050
list $3,050 · lowest of 4 lines
8
Athur M Blank Hospital

Atlanta · 8 mi · File May 2026

$6,374
list $6,374
9
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite

Atlanta · 12 mi · File May 2026

$6,374
list $6,374 · lowest of 2 lines
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 70553. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 70553, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About mri of the brain, with and without contrast

CPT 70553 is a brain MRI done twice in one session: first without and then with a contrast injection. It is used for tumors, multiple sclerosis, infections and unexplained neurological symptoms. Plan for 45 to 60 minutes in the scanner.

What the price covers

The hospital's price is the technical fee: the MRI machine, the technologist, the contrast agent and the room. The radiologist's reading is billed separately. Sedation, if you need it for claustrophobia, is another separate charge.

The three brain MRI codes

  • 70551: without contrast
  • 70552: with contrast only
  • 70553: with and without contrast (this page)

70553 is the most expensive of the three because it takes longest. If the ordering doctor only needs a non-contrast study, 70551 is usually 20 to 40 percent cheaper.

Why prices vary

MRI pricing at hospitals routinely spans three to eight times within a single metro. Hospital-owned outpatient imaging centers list lower than the main campus, and freestanding imaging centers are typically lower still. Cash prices at hospitals are often close to what insurers pay, and sometimes below.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 70553, technical fee only?
  • What does the radiologist reading cost?
  • Is a non-contrast study (70551) sufficient for what my doctor is looking for?
  • Do you have an outpatient imaging location with a lower price?

Hospitals in Atlanta, GA without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask