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PricedCare

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Minneapolis, MN-WI costs $31 to $2,310. Here's every hospital's price.

11 hospitals in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, 11 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $31 at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital, the median is $1,041 and the highest is $2,310 at River Falls Area Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 75 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Minneapolis, MN-WI median of $1,041 is 52% below the national median of $2,156 across 545 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

12 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $28 to $4,125. 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 June 2026. 18 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.

$31
lowest cash price in Minneapolis, MN-WI
M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital · 15 mi
$1,010 below the median
$1,041
median cash price
11 hospitals
75×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
11/30
hospitals with a cash price
18 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital

Edina · 15 mi · File Feb 2026

$31
list $49 · lowest of 3 lines
2
M Health Fairview St John's Hospital

Maplewood · 13 mi · File Feb 2026

$79
list $125 · lowest of 3 lines
3
M Health Fairview University of Mn Medical Center

Minneapolis · 9 mi · File Feb 2026

$100
list $159 · lowest of 5 lines
4
Abbott Northwestern Hospital

Minneapolis · 10 mi · File Jun 2026

$912
list $1,900 · lowest of 2 lines
5
North Memorial Health Hospital

Robbinsdale · 6 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,041
list $1,975
6
Maple Grove Hospital

Maple Grove · 10 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,041
list $1,975
7
Fairview Northland Regional Hospital

Princeton · 35 mi · File Jan 2026

$1,146
list $2,857 · lowest of 2 lines
8
M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital

Woodbury · 19 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,146
list $2,857 · lowest of 2 lines
9
M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital

Burnsville · 24 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,214
list $2,857 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Buffalo Hospital

Buffalo · 30 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,310
list $4,125 · lowest of 8 lines
11
River Falls Area Hospital

River Falls · 36 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,310
list $4,125 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Gillette Childrens Specialty Hospital

Saint Paul · 13 mi · File Jan 2026

—
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 Minneapolis, MN-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