MRI of the brain, with and without 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, with and without contrast dye: from $342.69 to $4,438.08, with a median of $1,615.50. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 9 cities for code 70553, 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.
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.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX MRI BRAIN W & W/O CONTRAST | $342.69 | $6,954.00 | 95% | — source file |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX MRI BRAIN W & W/O CONTRAST | $342.69 | $6,954.00 | 95% | — source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph LLC Houston, TX MRI BRAIN W & WO CONTRAST | $344.85 | $11,659.75 | 97% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX HC MRI BRAIN/HEAD W/WO CONTRAST | $1,615.50 | $3,231.00 | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Shriners Childrens Texas Galveston, TX MRI BRAIN STEM W/O & W/DYE | $2,826.80 | $2,826.80 | — | — source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC MR, BRAIN WO & W CONTRAST | $4,438.08 | $6,624.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC MR, BRAIN WO & W CONTRAST | $4,438.08 | $6,624.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX TC MR, BRAIN WO & W CONTRAST | $4,438.08 | $6,624.00 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $342.69, median $1,615.50, highest $4,438.08 — a 13.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $1,615.50. 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
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.