MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, 4 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $613.93 to $2,559.06, with a median of $1,146.95. The lowest listed price is at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 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 Oct 1, 2025 and Oct 1, 2025.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital lowest Lebanon, TN MRI BRAIN | $613.93 | $2,117.00 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN MRI BRAIN | $1,143.18 | $2,117.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN MRI - BRAIN WO | $1,146.57 | $3,821.90 | 70% | — source file |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN MRI CSF CINE FLOW STUDY WO | $1,146.95 | $3,823.15 | 70% | — source file |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN MRI BRAIN WO CONT SPECTRSCPY X | $1,146.95 | $3,823.15 | 70% | — source file |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN MRI BRAIN LAB WITHOUT | $1,146.95 | $3,823.15 | 70% | — source file |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN MRI BRAIN WO | $1,146.95 | $3,823.15 | 70% | — source file |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN MRI BRAIN IAC WO | $1,146.95 | $3,823.15 | 70% | — source file |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN HC MRI BRAIN W/O CON | $1,374.31 | $4,739.00 | 71% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN HC MRI BRAIN W/O CON | $2,559.06 | $4,739.00 | 46% | Oct 1, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $613.93, median $1,146.95, highest $2,559.06 — a 4.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,258.75. 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.