Skip to main content

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Indianapolis, IN costs $583 to $3,837. Here's every hospital's price.

11 hospitals in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area, 11 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $583 at Ascension St Vincent Anderson, the median is $2,257 and the highest is $3,837 at Johnson Memorial Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 6.6 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Indianapolis, IN median of $2,257 is in line with the national median of $2,156 across 545 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

10 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $191 to $12,427. 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 January 2026 and July 2026. 15 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.

$583
lowest cash price in Indianapolis, IN
Ascension St Vincent Anderson · 32 mi
$1,674 below the median
$2,257
median cash price
11 hospitals
6.6×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
11/26
hospitals with a cash price
15 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Ascension St Vincent Anderson

Anderson · 32 mi · File Jan 2026

$583
list $971 · lowest of 4 lines
2
St Vincent Heart Center

Carmel · 10 mi · File Jan 2026

$583
list $971 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Ascension St Vincent Carmel

Carmel · 13 mi · File Jan 2026

$583
list $971 · lowest of 6 lines
4
Ascension St Vincent Fishers

Fishers · 15 mi · File Jan 2026

$583
list $971 · lowest of 6 lines
5
Hendricks Regional Health

Danville · 21 mi · File May 2026

$932
list $2,330
6
Riverview Health

Noblesville · 18 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,257
list $3,761
7
Ascension St Vincent Mercy

Elwood · 37 mi · File Jan 2026

$2,508
list $4,180 · lowest of 4 lines
8
Eskenazi Health

Indianapolis · 3 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,584
list $2,871 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Hancock Regional Hospital

Greenfield · 19 mi · File Jul 2026

$2,929
list $3,661
10
Witham Health Services

Lebanon · 25 mi · File Mar 2026

$3,479
list $4,971
11
Johnson Memorial Hospital

Franklin · 22 mi · File May 2026

$3,837
list $4,796
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 Indianapolis, IN 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