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PricedCare

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Milwaukee, WI costs $1,427 to $3,587. Here's every hospital's price.

9 hospitals in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, 9 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $1,427 at Ascension St Francis Hospital, the median is $3,265 and the highest is $3,587 at Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin. The most expensive hospital lists 2.5 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Milwaukee, WI median of $3,265 is 51% 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 $347 to $6,195. 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 November 2025 and March 2026. 9 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.

$1,427
lowest cash price in Milwaukee, WI
Ascension St Francis Hospital · 6 mi
$1,838 below the median
$3,265
median cash price
9 hospitals
2.5×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
9/18
hospitals with a cash price
9 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Ascension St Francis Hospital

Milwaukee · 6 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,427
list $2,692 · lowest of 6 lines
2
Ascension Se Wisconsin Hospital

Milwaukee · 13 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,427
list $2,692 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital

Franklin · 6 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,427
list $2,692 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee

Milwaukee · 10 mi · File Jan 2026

$3,042
list $5,740 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Aurora Medical Ctr Washington County

Hartford · 38 mi · File Nov 2025

$3,265
list $6,530 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Aurora St Lukes Medical Center

Milwaukee · 7 mi · File Nov 2025

$3,265
list $6,530 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Aurora Medical Center - Summit

Summit · 32 mi · File Nov 2025

$3,265
list $6,530 · lowest of 2 lines
8
Aurora Medical Center

Grafton · 29 mi · File Nov 2025

$3,265
list $6,530 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin

Milwaukee · 12 mi · File Mar 2026

$3,587
list $6,521 · lowest of 3 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 Milwaukee, WI 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