How much does MRI brain, without contrast cost in Texas?
CPT 70551 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for Texas.
Estimates only. Educational estimates from public Medicare
benchmarks and hospital-published prices — not a guarantee, and not legal, medical, or financial advice.
70551 MRI brain, without contrast
Ask to pay
$483
About 2.0× what Medicare pays — most hospitals accept a self-pay rate in this range.
Typical
$2,504
Medicare $242
Ask $483
$231 lowboxed = typical rangehigh $20,244
What Medicare paysⓘ
$242
Typical price near you
$2,504
Cash / self-pay price
$2,504
Prices near you — 74 facilities, lowest first
| Facility | Type | Price | vs Medicare | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital (Houston) lowest | Hospital | $231cash | 1.0× | — |
| Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital (Houston) | Hospital | $231cash | 1.0× | — |
| UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston) | Hospital | $541negotiated | 2.2× | — |
| University Medical Center of El Paso | Hospital | $685cash | 2.8× | ★★★★★ |
| Covenant Medical Center (Lubbock) | Hospital | $690cash | 2.9× | ★★★★★ |
| JPS Health Network – John Peter Smith Hospital (Fort Worth) | Hospital | $1,026cash | 4.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center (The Woodlands) | Hospital | $1,312cash | 5.4× | — |
| Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center (Houston) | Hospital | $1,312cash | 5.4× | ★★★★★ |
| St. David's North Austin Medical Center (Austin) | Hospital | $1,333cash | 5.5× | — |
| Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital (Sugar Land) | Hospital | $1,336cash | 5.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Houston Methodist Hospital (Houston) | Hospital | $1,336cash | 5.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital (The Woodlands) | Hospital | $1,336cash | 5.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Parkland Health (Dallas) | Hospital | $1,362cash | 5.6× | ★★★★★ |
| CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills (San Antonio) | Hospital | $1,380cash | 5.7× | — |
| Methodist Dallas Medical Center (Dallas) | Hospital | $1,394cash | 5.8× | ★★★★★ |
| Dell Seton Medical Center at UT (Austin) | Hospital | $1,493cash | 6.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin | Hospital | $1,493cash | 6.2× | ★★★★★ |
| UT Southwestern William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital (Dallas) | Hospital | $1,602cash | 6.6× | ★★★★★ |
| St. Luke's Health–The Woodlands Hospital (The Woodlands) | Hospital | $1,648cash | 6.8× | ★★★★★ |
| Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center (Houston) | Hospital | $1,648cash | 6.8× | ★★★★★ |
| Memorial Hermann–Texas Medical Center (Houston) | Hospital | $1,667cash | 6.9× | ★★★★★ |
| University Hospital - University Health (San Antonio) | Hospital | $1,739cash | 7.2× | — |
| Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center (Fort Worth) | Hospital | $2,190cash | 9.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas) | Hospital | $2,190cash | 9.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano | Hospital | $2,190cash | 9.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Cook Children's Medical Center (Fort Worth) | Hospital | $2,244cash | 9.3× | — |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – College Station | Hospital | $2,260cash | 9.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple | Hospital | $2,260cash | 9.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance (Fort Worth) | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Hospital Frisco | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital (Arlington) | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Flower Mound | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Hospital Rockwall | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano | Hospital | $2,504cash | 10.4× | — |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Round Rock | Hospital | $2,557cash | 10.6× | ★★★★★ |
| Methodist Hospital Texsan (San Antonio) | Hospital | $2,744cash | 11.4× | — |
| Shannon Medical Center (San Angelo) | Hospital | $2,782cash | 11.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Texas Children's Hospital (Houston) | Hospital | $2,783cash | 11.5× | — |
| Doctors Hospital at Renaissance (Edinburg) | Hospital | $4,204cash | 17.4× | — |
| Hendrick Medical Center (Abilene) | Hospital | $4,343cash | 18.0× | ★★★★★ |
| UMC Health System – University Medical Center (Lubbock) | Hospital | $4,626cash | 19.1× | ★★★★★ |
| St. David's Medical Center (Austin) | Hospital | $4,903cash | 20.3× | ★★★★★ |
| The Hospitals of Providence Sierra Campus (El Paso) | Hospital | $5,240cash | 21.7× | — |
| Valley Baptist Medical Center – Brownsville | Hospital | $5,368cash | 22.2× | ★★★★★ |
| The Hospitals of Providence Memorial Campus (El Paso) | Hospital | $5,440cash | 22.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Medical City Dallas Hospital (Dallas) | Hospital | $6,583cash | 27.2× | ★★★★★ |
| The Hospitals of Providence Transmountain Campus (El Paso) | Hospital | $7,154cash | 29.6× | ★★★★★ |
| St. David's South Austin Medical Center (Austin) | Hospital | $7,204cash | 29.8× | ★★★★★ |
| Medical City Fort Worth | Hospital | $7,278cash | 30.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Medical City Plano | Hospital | $7,822cash | 32.4× | ★★★★★ |
| Medical City Frisco | Hospital | $7,822cash | 32.4× | — |
| Methodist Hospital Metropolitan (San Antonio) | Hospital | $9,343cash | 38.7× | — |
| Methodist Hospital Stone Oak (San Antonio) | Hospital | $9,343cash | 38.7× | ★★★★★ |
| Methodist Hospital (San Antonio) | Hospital | $9,343cash | 38.7× | ★★★★★ |
| St. David's Round Rock Medical Center (Round Rock) | Hospital | $9,405cash | 38.9× | — |
| Northeast Baptist Hospital (San Antonio) | Hospital | $9,740cash | 40.3× | — |
| North Central Baptist Hospital (San Antonio) | Hospital | $9,740cash | 40.3× | — |
| St. Luke's Baptist Hospital (San Antonio) | Hospital | $9,740cash | 40.3× | — |
| Valley Baptist Medical Center – Harlingen | Hospital | $11,334cash | 46.9× | — |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake (Webster) gross charge | Hospital | $14,794cash | 61.2× | ★★★★★ |
| HCA Houston Healthcare West (Houston) gross charge | Hospital | $15,853cash | 65.6× | ★★★★★ |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center (Houston) gross charge | Hospital | $17,454cash | 72.2× | ★★★★★ |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest (Houston) gross charge | Hospital | $20,244cash | 83.7× | ★★★★★ |
Prices from each hospital's public machine-readable file; imaging & surgery-center prices are published self-pay rates (often the cheapest option). vs Medicare is how many times the Medicare rate each facility charges. 4 unusually low/high prices excluded from the typical price as likely data errors.
💬 What to say — negotiation scripts
- For 70551 (MRI brain, without contrast), Medicare's benchmark rate is $241.72. A fair self-pay target for this line is $483.44. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
- Your own published cash / self-pay price for 70551 is $2,504.25, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $1,636.47–$5,726.10. Please apply a rate in that range to my bill rather than the gross charge.
- Please send a fully itemized bill listing every CPT/HCPCS/DRG code and its individual charge, so I can review each line against published rates.
- Separately, what is your financial assistance / charity care policy, and am I eligible? Please send me the application and the income thresholds.
See MRI brain, without contrast prices in another area
What should 70551 cost in Texas?
For MRI brain, without contrast (CPT 70551) in Texas, a fair self-pay price is around $2,504, with hospitals ranging from $1,636 to $5,726 across 74 facilities. Medicare's benchmark rate is $242, the floor to negotiate toward. The card above lists each hospital's price, cheapest first, with CMS quality stars.
Frequently asked questions
How much does MRI brain, without contrast cost in Texas?
A fair self-pay price for MRI brain, without contrast (CPT 70551) in Texas is around $2,504, with hospital prices ranging from $1,636 to $5,726 across 74 facilities. These are estimates from hospital-published prices, not a guarantee.
What is the Medicare rate for CPT 70551?
Medicare pays about $242 for MRI brain, without contrast (CPT 70551). That's the negotiation floor — a fair cash-pay target is roughly 1.5–2× it, well below typical gross charges.
Can I negotiate the price of MRI brain, without contrast?
Yes. Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule hospitals must publish these rates, so you can ask to pay the cash or negotiated rate instead of the gross charge. Paste your bill on the home page for a ready-to-send appeal letter and the exact numbers to cite.
Got a bill for this?
If you were charged more than the fair price, you can usually negotiate it down. Paste your itemized bill to get a personalized appeal letter, the exact numbers to cite, an AI negotiation coach, and a charity-care eligibility check — free.
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Prices last refreshed September 2026 from each hospital's official CMS machine-readable file. Medicare rate: CY2025 OPPS/PFS/CLFS. Estimates only — not a guarantee.