MRI of the brain, no contrast dye in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
In San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, no contrast dye: from $1,604.50 to $6,147.00, with a median of $3,628.80. The lowest listed price is at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 5 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 31, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford lowest Palo Alto, CA HC MRI Brain WO Con Lmtd | $1,604.50 | $3,209.00 | 50% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| El Camino Hospital Mountain View, CA HC MRI HEAD W/O CONT | $2,608.00 | $10,432.00 | 75% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Palo Alto, CA HC MRI Brain Fast Scan | $3,073.50 | $6,147.00 | 50% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Jose San Jose, CA MRI BRAIN BRAIN STEM W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $3,628.80 | $6,480.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Santa Clara Santa Clara, CA MRI BRAIN BRAIN STEM W/O CONTRAST MATERIAL | $3,628.80 | $6,480.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA MRI Brain WO Contrast | $4,697.60 | $11,744.00 | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Palo Alto, CA HC MRI Brain WO Contrast | $6,147.00 | $12,294.00 | 50% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,604.50, median $3,628.80, highest $6,147.00 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $3,628.80. 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.