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PricedCare

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Columbus, OH costs $1,469 to $3,483. Here's every hospital's price.

13 hospitals in the Columbus, OH 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 Columbus, OH metro area, 13 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $1,469 at Fairfield Medical Center, the median is $2,022 and the highest is $3,483 at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 2.4 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Columbus, OH median of $2,022 is 6% below the national median of $2,156 across 545 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

14 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $1 to $33,500. 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 October 2025 and July 2026. 6 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.

$1,469
lowest cash price in Columbus, OH
Fairfield Medical Center · 22 mi
$553 below the median
$2,022
median cash price
13 hospitals
2.4×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
13/20
hospitals with a cash price
6 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Fairfield Medical Center

Lancaster · 22 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,469
list $3,265 · lowest of 4 lines
2
Memorial Hospital

Marysville · 33 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,635
list $2,515 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Grady Memorial Hospital

Delaware · 27 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,931
list $2,970
4
Riverside Methodist Hospital

Columbus · 11 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,005
list $3,084
5
Dublin Methodist Hospital

Dublin · 20 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,005
list $3,084
6
Mount Carmel St Ann's

Westerville · 12 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,022
list $3,111
7
Mount Carmel East & West

Columbus · 1 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,022
list $3,111
8
Mount Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital

New Albany · 9 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,022
list $3,111
9
Diley Ridge Medical Center

Canal Winchester · 9 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,022
list $3,111
10
Mount Carmel Dublin

Dublin · 17 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,022
list $3,111
11
Berger Hospital

Circleville · 25 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,071
list $3,186 · lowest of 3 lines
12
Ohiohealth Morrow County Hospital

Mount Gilead · 40 mi · File Oct 2025

$2,487
list $3,826
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 Columbus, OH 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