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PricedCare

MRI of the knee or other lower joint, no contrast in San Francisco, CA costs $1,568 to $10,419. Here's every hospital's price.

6 hospitals in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area publish a cash price for mri of the knee or other lower joint, no contrast (CPT 73721). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, 6 hospitals list a cash price for mri of the knee or other lower joint, no contrast (CPT 73721). The lowest is $1,568 at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, the median is $3,438 and the highest is $10,419 at Chinese Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 6.6 times the cheapest for the same code.

The San Francisco, CA median of $3,438 is 144% above the national median of $1,409 across 481 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

5 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $261 to $18,754. 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 April 2026 and July 2026. 32 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.

$1,568
lowest cash price in San Francisco, CA
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland · 4 mi
$1,870 below the median
$3,438
median cash price
6 hospitals
6.6×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
6/38
hospitals with a cash price
32 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland

Oakland · 4 mi · File Apr 2026

$1,568
list $5,228
2
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco

South San Francisco · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,438
list $6,140 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch

Antioch · 30 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,438
list $6,140 · lowest of 6 lines
4
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley

Pleasanton · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,485
list $8,712 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Washington Hospital

Fremont · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$3,652
list $4,682 · lowest of 7 lines
6
Chinese Hospital

San Francisco · 7 mi · File Jul 2026

$10,419
list $10,419
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 73721. 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 73721, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About mri of the knee or other lower joint, no contrast

CPT 73721 is an MRI of a joint in the lower limb, most often the knee, without contrast. It shows ligaments, meniscus and cartilage and is the standard test after a twisting injury or for persistent joint pain. It takes 20 to 40 minutes.

What the price covers

The hospital's price is the technical fee: scanner, technologist and room. The radiologist's reading is billed separately. The same code covers hip and ankle MRIs, so the price applies to those too.

Why prices vary

Knee MRIs are heavily shopped because they are common, elective and easy to compare. Within one metro area hospital prices commonly span four to eight times. Hospital-owned outpatient imaging centers and freestanding centers are the low end; teaching hospitals the high end. Orthopedic practices often have arrangements with a specific imaging center; you can still choose another.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 73721, scan only?
  • What is the radiologist's fee, and can my orthopedist read it instead?
  • Is the scanner strength (1.5T or 3T) the same at your cheaper location?

Hospitals in San Francisco, CA 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