Head MRA (brain vessels) cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for MR angiography (MRA) of the head without contrast as an inpatient: from $404.16 to $2,649.60, with a median of $728.64. The lowest listed price is at St Bernard Parish Hospital — $324.48 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $907.40 at 52 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 5 cities for code 70544, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Bernard Parish Hospital lowest Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC MRA HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $404.16 | $1,263.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC MRA HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $504.00 | $1,800.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC MRA HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $728.64 | $3,312.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| The Ochsner West Campus Extended Care Hospital Jefferson, LA HC MRA HEAD W/O CONTRAST | $980.13 | $2,649.00 | — | 63% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 MRI ANGIO HEAD W/O | $2,649.60 | $4,416.00 | $2,486.21–$4,416.00 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $404.16, median $728.64, highest $2,649.60 — a 6.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $697.12 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A head MRA uses an MRI scanner to show the arteries of the brain without contrast dye. It is used to look for aneurysms, narrowed arteries after a stroke and blood vessel malformations.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.