MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye in Lancaster, PA — inpatient
In Lancaster, PA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye as an inpatient: from $517.76 to $2,854.80, with a median of $701.50. The lowest listed price is at Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 70553, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Lancaster, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center lowest Lancaster, PA 70553 MRI BRAIN STEM W/O & W/DYE Tech | $517.76 | $1,786.00 | 71% | — source file |
| Ephrata Community Hospital Ephrata, PA MRI Scan of Brain Before and After Contrast | $701.50 | $2,544.00 | 72% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz Lititz, PA HC MRI Brain W/Wo Contrast | $2,854.80 | $4,758.00 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $517.76, median $701.50, highest $2,854.80 — a 5.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $701.50 — 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.