Scans and imaging CPT 70551 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Brain MRI cost in Pikeville, KY — inpatient

In Pikeville, KY, 3 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $3,205.20 to $4,136.40, with a median of $3,205.20. The lowest listed price is at McDowell Arh Hospital and 1 other hospital. Across Kentucky, the median is $1,753.20 at 75 hospitals.

Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 70551, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.

Lowest$3,205.20McDowell Arh Hospital + 1 more

Median$3,205.20half of hospitals charge less

Highest$4,136.40in this market

Difference1.3×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 Pikeville, KY.

median

Lowest $3,205.20Highest $4,136.40

Hospitals, cheapest first

Hospital	Cash price	List price	Insurers pay	Off list
McDowell Arh Hospital lowest MC Dowell, KY · (606) 377-3400 MR HEAD W/O CONTRAST source file	$3,205.20	$5,342.00	$760.00–$4,700.96	40%
Arh Our Lady of the Way lowest Martin, KY · (606) 285-6400 MR HEAD W/O CONTRAST source file	$3,205.20	$5,342.00	$760.00–$4,700.96	40%
Tug Valley Appalachian Regional Healthcare Regional Medical Center South Williamson, KY · (606) 237-1700 MR HEAD W/O CONTRAST source file	$4,136.40	$6,894.00	$139.75–$6,204.60	40%

Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.

Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More

List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More

Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More

Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.

Inpatient: lowest $3,205.20, median $3,205.20, highest $4,136.40 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $3,484.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.

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.