Scans and imaging CPT 70553 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye in Dubuque, IA — inpatient

In Dubuque, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye as an inpatient: from $945.60 to $4,982.90, with a median of $2,536.11. The lowest listed price is at The Finley Hospital.

Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 70553, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 2026.

Lowest$945.60The Finley Hospital
Median$2,536.11half pay less
Highest$4,982.90in this market
Difference5.3×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 Dubuque, IA.

median
Lowest $945.60Highest $4,982.90

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceOff listFile date
The Finley Hospital lowest Dubuque, IA PR MRI BRAIN COMBO $945.60 $1,182.00 20% Jan 28, 2026
source file
The Finley Hospital Dubuque, IA HC MRI BRAIN W WO CONTRAST $2,536.11 $3,170.13 20% Jan 28, 2026
source file
Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque Dubuque, IA HC MRI Brain W/O & W/Contrast $4,982.90 $7,666.00 35% Mar 31, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $945.60, median $2,536.11, highest $4,982.90 — a 5.3× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $2,536.11 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

What it is

This brain MRI is done in two parts: first without contrast dye, then again after a gadolinium contrast dye is injected into a vein. The contrast helps show tumors, infection, inflammation and conditions such as multiple sclerosis more clearly.

What the price covers

The hospital price usually covers both sets of images. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately, and the contrast agent may appear as its own pharmacy charge.