SelfPayRates — hospital cash prices, from the source
Cash prices at 4 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 Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 2026.
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off | File date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation
DES MOINES, IA PR MRI BRAIN |
$538.40 | $673.00 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 file |
|
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation
DES MOINES, IA PR MRI BRAIN |
$538.40 | $673.00 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 file |
|
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton
NEWTON, IA HC MRI Brain W/O Contrast |
$2,297.10 | $3,534.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 file |
|
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp
DES MOINES, IA HC MRI Brain W/O Contrast |
$2,457.00 | $3,780.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 file |
|
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation
DES MOINES, IA HC MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST |
$4,048.96 | $5,061.19 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 file |
|
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation
DES MOINES, IA HC MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST |
$4,048.96 | $5,061.19 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 file |
|
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp
WEST DES MOINES, IA HC MRI Brain W/O Contrast |
$5,621.00 | $5,621.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 file |
|
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp
DES MOINES, IA HC MRI Brain W/O Contrast |
$5,621.00 | — | — | Mar 31, 2026 file |
Outpatient: lowest $538.40, median $3,252.98, highest $5,621.00 — a 10.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $2,457.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.