MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in Erie, PA
In Erie, PA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $2,378.82 to $5,178.60, with a median of $3,778.71. The lowest listed price is at Saint Vincent Health Center.
Cash prices at 2 facilities 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 Apr 14, 2026 and Apr 14, 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 Erie, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Vincent Health Center lowest Erie, PA HC MRI BRAIN WO CNTRST | $2,378.82 | $2,901.00 | 18% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Hamot Erie, PA MR BRAIN WO CON | $5,178.60 | $8,631.00 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,378.82, median $3,778.71, highest $5,178.60 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $3,778.71. 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 70551 ($1,509.60). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Saint Vincent Health Center Erie, PACHG MRI BRAIN BRAIN STEM W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $35.28 | file |