MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Knoxville, TN costs $1,066 to $2,550. Here's every hospital's price.
3 hospitals in the Knoxville, TN 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 Knoxville, TN metro area, 3 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $1,066 at University Health System, INC, the median is $2,139 and the highest is $2,550 at Lafollette Medical Center. The most expensive hospital lists 2.4 times the cheapest for the same code.
The Knoxville, TN median of $2,139 is in line with the national median of $2,221 across 1341 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
3 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $105 to $52,930. 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 April 2026. 7 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.
Sorted by cash price
Hospital facility fee onlyKnoxville · 13 mi · File Jan 2026
Powell · 8 mi · File Apr 2026
La Follette · 24 mi · File Apr 2026
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for CPT 70553. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.
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.
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 Knoxville, TN without a price for this procedure
Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.
- Blount Memorial HospitalWebsite blocks automated reading
- East Tennessee Childrens HospitalWebsite blocks automated reading
- Fort Loudoun Medical CenterWebsite blocks automated reading
- Fort Sanders Regional Medical CenterWebsite blocks automated reading
- Methodist Medical Center of Oak RidgeWebsite blocks automated reading
- Parkwest Medical CenterWebsite blocks automated reading
- Roane Medical CenterWebsite blocks automated reading