MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 8 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $403.04 to $2,790.50, with a median of $1,506.75. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center South.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 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 — 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA HC Chg MRI Brain Brain Stem W/O Contrast Material | $403.04 | $895.64 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA HC Chg MRI Brain Brain Stem W/O Contrast Material | $449.36 | $998.58 | 55% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA HC MRI Brain WO Contrast | $1,141.70 | $1,631.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA HC MRI Brain WO Contrast | $1,381.10 | $1,973.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA HC MRI Brain WO Contrast | $1,632.40 | $2,332.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA HC Chg MRI Brain Brain Stem W/O Contrast Material | $2,065.95 | $4,591.00 | 55% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA HC MRI - Brain & Brainstem W/O Contrast | $2,467.00 | $2,467.00 | — | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Boston Boston, MA MRI BRAIN STEM W/O DYE | $2,790.50 | $2,790.50 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $403.04, median $1,506.75, highest $2,790.50 — a 6.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $1,381.10. 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.