Scans and imaging CPT 70551 Outpatient

MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in Birmingham, AL

In Birmingham, AL, 5 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $893.08 to $12,397.66, with a median of $893.08. The lowest listed price is at The Children's Hospital of Alabama.

Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 70551, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$893.08The Children's Hospital of Alabama
Median$893.08half pay less
Highest$12,397.66in this market
Difference13.9×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Birmingham, AL.

median
Lowest $893.08Highest $12,397.66

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceOff listFile date
The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL HC Shunt Function $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC Shunt Function $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC MRI Brain - MRI Brain WO Contrast $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC MRI Brain - MRI Brain WO Contrast $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC Shunt Function $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC Shunt Function $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC MRI Brain - MRI Brain WO Contrast $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC MRI Brain - MRI Brain WO Contrast $893.08 $2,076.92 57%
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Baptist Health Princeton Hospital Birmingham, AL Hb Mri Brain - Mri Brain Wo Contrast $8,989.00 $8,989.00 Apr 1, 2026
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Baptist Health Walker Hospital Jasper, AL Hb Mri Brain - Mri Brain Wo Contrast $8,989.00 $8,989.00 Apr 1, 2026
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Baptist Health Shelby Hospital Alabaster, AL Hb Mri Brain - Mri Brain Wo Contrast $8,989.00 $8,989.00 Apr 1, 2026
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Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital Birmingham, AL Hb Mri Brain - Mri Brain Wo Contrast $12,397.66 $12,397.66 Apr 1, 2026
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Outpatient: lowest $893.08, median $893.08, highest $12,397.66 — a 13.9× difference within the same market.

As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $893.08. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.

What it is

An MRI of the brain uses a strong magnet and radio waves, not X-rays, to make detailed pictures of the brain and brain stem. It is used to look into headaches, seizures, dizziness, numbness or other nerve symptoms. This version is done without contrast dye.

What the price covers

The hospital price usually covers the scan itself. The radiologist's interpretation is often billed separately, and sedation, if needed, is extra.