MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in Columbia, MO
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $278.40 to $1,240.80, with a median of $1,240.80. The lowest listed price is at Boone Hospital Center.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 70551, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 and Apr 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Hospital Center lowest Columbia, MO MRI BRAIN STEM W/O DYE-CF | $278.40 | $464.00 | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center Columbia, MO MRI BRAIN W STEM WO CONT | $900.00 | $1,500.00 | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST-XS | $1,240.80 | $2,068.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST-MM | $1,240.80 | $2,068.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST-JMRI | $1,240.80 | $2,068.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO MRI BRAIN IMAGES FOR CRANIOTOMY-MO | $1,240.80 | $2,068.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST-DINM | $1,240.80 | $2,068.00 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $278.40, median $1,240.80, highest $1,240.80 — a 4.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,240.80. 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.