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PricedCare

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast in St. Louis, MO-IL costs $1,188 to $4,820. Here's every hospital's price.

18 hospitals in the St. Louis, MO-IL 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 St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, 18 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the brain, with and without contrast (CPT 70553). The lowest is $1,188 at Touchette Regional Hospital INC, the median is $2,359 and the highest is $4,820 at Hshs St Elizabeth's Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 4.1 times the cheapest for the same code.

The St. Louis, MO-IL median of $2,359 is 8% above the national median of $2,176 across 1518 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

17 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $179 to $6,695. 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 March 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.

$1,188
lowest cash price in St. Louis, MO-IL
Touchette Regional Hospital INC · 17 mi
$1,171 below the median
$2,359
median cash price
18 hospitals
4.1×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
18/36
hospitals with a cash price
18 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Touchette Regional Hospital INC

Centreville · 17 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,188
list $1,916
2
Mercy Hospital South

Saint Louis · 16 mi · File Jun 2026

$1,258
list $1,258 · lowest of 3 lines
3
Mercy Hospital Washington

Washington · 38 mi · File Jun 2026

$1,786
list $2,747
4
Ssm Health Saint Louis University Hospital

Saint Louis · 10 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,255
list $4,100
5
Ssm St Joseph Health Center

Saint Charles · 8 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,359
list $4,289 · lowest of 6 lines
6
Ssm St Clare Health Center

Fenton · 16 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,359
list $4,289 · lowest of 10 lines
7
Ssm Health St Mary's Hospital - St Louis

Saint Louis · 8 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,359
list $4,289 · lowest of 3 lines
8
Ssm Health Depaul Hospital St Louis

Bridgeton · 5 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,359
list $4,289 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Ssm St Joseph Hospital West

Lake Saint Louis · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,359
list $4,289 · lowest of 16 lines
10
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital

Maryland Heights · 4 mi · File Apr 2026

$2,476
list $3,095 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Mercy Hospital Jefferson

Crystal City · 38 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,608
list $4,013
12
Mercy Hospital St Louis

Saint Louis · 8 mi · File Jun 2026

$2,790
list $3,959 · 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 St. Louis, MO-IL 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