Brain MRI cost in Brownsville, TX
In Brownsville-Harlingen, TX, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $238.00 to $23,251.59, with a median of $11,744.80. The lowest listed price is at Harlingen Medical Center — $11,506.80 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $2,198.29 at 233 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 70551, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlingen Medical Center lowest Harlingen, TX · (956) 365-1000 MR BRAIN W/STEM,W/O CONT - 70551 - 407006020 | $238.00 | $4,064.79 | $202.15–$3,251.83 | 94% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Harlingen Medical Center lowest Harlingen, TX · (956) 365-1000 MRI BRAIN AND IAC'S WO CONTRAS - 70551 - 407006019 | $238.00 | $3,936.10 | $202.15–$3,251.83 | 94% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Harlingen Medical Center lowest Harlingen, TX · (956) 365-1000 MRI BRAIN AND IAC'S WO CONTRAS - 70551 - 416706019 | $238.00 | $3,830.75 | $202.15–$3,251.83 | 94% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Harlingen Medical Center lowest Harlingen, TX · (956) 365-1000 MR BRAIN W/STEM,W/O CONT - 70551 - 416706020 | $238.00 | $3,830.75 | $202.15–$3,251.83 | 94% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Valley Regional Medical Center Brownsville, TX · (956) 350-7000 Magnetic resonance (eg, proton) imaging, brain (including brain stem); without contrast material | $23,251.59 | $23,251.59 | $208.23 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Valley Regional Medical Center Brownsville, TX · (956) 350-7000 MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST | $23,251.59 | $23,251.59 | $1,627.61–$19,763.85 | — | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $238.00, median $11,744.80, highest $23,251.59 — a 97.7× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. 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
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.