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PricedCare

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in Pittsburgh, PA costs $346 to $9,808. Here's every hospital's price.

15 hospitals in the Pittsburgh, PA 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 Pittsburgh, PA metro area, 15 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $346 at Advanced Surgical Hospital, the median is $4,699 and the highest is $9,808 at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside. The most expensive hospital lists 28 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Pittsburgh, PA median of $4,699 is 118% above the national median of $2,156 across 545 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

15 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $269 to $13,895. 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 February 2026 and April 2026. 16 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.

$346
lowest cash price in Pittsburgh, PA
Advanced Surgical Hospital · 31 mi
$4,353 below the median
$4,699
median cash price
15 hospitals
28×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
15/31
hospitals with a cash price
16 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Advanced Surgical Hospital

Washington · 31 mi · File Apr 2026

$346
list $2,065 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Heritage Valley Beaver

Beaver · 29 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,003
list $3,715
3
Heritage Valley Sewickley

Sewickley · 17 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,003
list $3,715
4
Acmh Hospital

Kittanning · 28 mi · File Mar 2026

$1,059
list $3,530 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Penn Highlands Mon Valley

Monongahela · 20 mi · File Feb 2026

$1,776
list $2,960 · lowest of 6 lines
6
UPMC Jameson

New Castle · 45 mi · File Mar 2026

$2,584
list $4,307 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Penn Highlands Connellsville

Connellsville · 34 mi · File Feb 2026

$2,594
list $4,324 · lowest of 4 lines
8
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh · 5 mi · File Mar 2026

$4,699
list $7,832 · lowest of 2 lines
9
UPMC St Margaret

Pittsburgh · 2 mi · File Mar 2026

$5,810
list $9,684 · lowest of 2 lines
10
UPMC Passavant

Pittsburgh · 11 mi · File Mar 2026

$5,999
list $9,999 · lowest of 2 lines
11
UPMC Mckeesport Hospital

Mc Keesport · 8 mi · File Mar 2026

$6,049
list $10,082 · lowest of 2 lines
12
UPMC East

Monroeville · 6 mi · File Mar 2026

$6,218
list $10,364 · lowest of 2 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 Pittsburgh, PA 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