MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
In Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, 10 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $1,250.91 to $6,333.75, with a median of $3,078.25. The lowest listed price is at DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 9 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 Dec 5, 2025 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 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL lowest Mooresville, NC MRI Brain WO Cntrst | $1,250.91 | $4,633.00 | 73% | — source file |
| DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL Mooresville, NC HC MRI BRAIN WO CNTRST | $1,250.91 | $4,633.00 | 73% | — source file |
| DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, INC. Doing Business As: DUKE HEALTH LAKE NORMAN HOSPITAL Mooresville, NC MRI Brain WO Cntrst | $1,250.91 | $4,633.00 | 73% | — source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Belmont, NC HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST | $1,765.28 | $3,530.55 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte, NC HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST | $1,765.28 | $3,530.55 | 50% | Dec 5, 2025 source file |
| MUSC Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, SC HB MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST | $3,009.50 | $6,019.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| MUSC Chester Regional Medical Center Chester, SC HB MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST | $3,147.00 | $6,294.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Belmont, NC HCHG MRI BRAIN WO CONT | $3,449.00 | $3,449.00 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NC HCHG MRI BRAIN WO CONT | $3,449.00 | $3,449.00 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Gaston Memorial Hospital Gastonia, NC HCHG MRI BRAIN WO CONT | $3,449.00 | $3,449.00 | — | May 11, 2026 source file |
| Amisub of South Carolina, Inc. Fort Mill, SC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST | $6,333.75 | $8,445.00 | 25% | Apr 15, 2026 source file |
| Amisub of South Carolina, Inc. Rock Hill, SC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST | $6,333.75 | $8,445.00 | 25% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,250.91, median $3,078.25, highest $6,333.75 — a 5.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $3,147.00. 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.