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PricedCare

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Houston, TX costs $169 to $4,891. Here's every hospital's price.

18 hospitals in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, 18 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $169 at University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the median is $1,616 and the highest is $4,891 at St Luke's Patients Medical Center. The most expensive hospital lists 29 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Houston, TX median of $1,616 is 25% below the national median of $2,156 across 545 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

18 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $144 to $11,770. 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 2023 and April 2026. 42 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.

$169
lowest cash price in Houston, TX
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston · 48 mi
$1,446 below the median
$1,616
median cash price
18 hospitals
29×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
18/60
hospitals with a cash price
42 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

Galveston · 48 mi · Older file Mar 2023

$169
list $1,428 · lowest of 4 lines
2
Harris Health

Houston · 7 mi · File Mar 2026

$343
list $6,954 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Legent North Houston Surgical Hospital

Bellaire · 10 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,353
list $2,705 · lowest of 4 lines
4
Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston · 7 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital

Baytown · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital

Nassau Bay · 23 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Houston Methodist Sugarland Hospital

Sugar Land · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231
8
Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

Houston · 17 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Houston Methodist West Hospital

Houston · 21 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Houston Methodist the Woodlands Hospital

The Woodlands · 29 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital

Cypress · 23 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,616
list $3,231 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Shriners Hospitals for Children

Galveston · 48 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,827
list $2,827
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 Houston, TX 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