Scans and imaging CPT 70551 Outpatient

MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 14 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $231.94 to $2,782.51, with a median of $1,335.50. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health.

Cash prices at 14 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 Mar 5, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.

Lowest$231.94Harris Health
Median$1,335.50half pay less
Highest$2,782.51in this market
Difference12.0×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

median
Lowest $231.94Highest $2,782.51

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceOff listFile date
Harris Health lowest Houston, TX MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST (WHOLE BODY SCAN ONLY) $231.94 $503.00 54%
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Harris Health Houston, TX MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $231.94 $5,036.00 95%
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Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST (WHOLE BODY SCAN ONLY) $231.94 $503.00 54%
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Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $231.94 $5,036.00 95%
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Hsa St. Joseph LLC Houston, TX MRI BRAIN WO CONTRAST $235.85 $7,628.38 97% Sep 1, 2026
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Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX HC MRI BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $1,335.50 $2,671.00 50% Apr 1, 2026
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Shriners Childrens Texas Galveston, TX MRI BRAIN STEM W/O DYE $1,845.30 $1,845.30
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Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC MR, BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $2,782.51 $4,153.00 33% Mar 5, 2026
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Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC MR, BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $2,782.51 $4,153.00 33% Mar 5, 2026
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Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC MR, BRAIN W/O CONTRAST $2,782.51 $4,153.00 33% Mar 5, 2026
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Outpatient: lowest $231.94, median $1,335.50, highest $2,782.51 — a 12.0× difference within the same market.

As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $1,335.50. 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.