MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, 7 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye: from $1,020.74 to $4,108.80, with a median of $2,489.40. The lowest listed price is at Norton Healthcare Indiana Inc.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 6 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 Feb 11, 2026 and Sep 18, 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Healthcare Indiana Inc lowest Jeffersonville, IN HB MRI BRAIN WO & W CONT | $1,020.74 | $7,291.00 | 86% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals INC Louisville, KY HB MRI BRAIN WO & W CONT | $1,260.80 | $6,304.00 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital, Inc. Salem, IN MRI PITUITRY OR IAC WO/WC(-XU) | $2,489.40 | $4,149.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital, Inc. Salem, IN MRI PITUITRY OR IAC WO/WC(-XU) | $2,489.40 | $4,149.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital, Inc. Salem, IN MRI BRAIN WO/WC | $2,489.40 | $4,149.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital, Inc. Salem, IN MRI BRAIN WO/WC | $2,489.40 | $4,149.00 | 40% | — source file |
| Baptist Healthcare System INC New Albany, IN MRI scan of brain before and after contrast | $3,910.93 | $5,214.57 | 25% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Healthcare System INC La Grange, KY MRI scan of brain before and after contrast | $3,910.93 | $5,214.57 | 25% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Healthcare System Inc. Louisville, KY MRI scan of brain before and after contrast | $3,910.93 | $5,214.57 | 25% | Sep 18, 2026 source file |
| Harrison County Hospital NW Corydon, IN MRI scan of brain before and after contrast | $4,108.80 | $6,848.00 | 40% | Jul 16, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,020.74, median $2,489.40, highest $4,108.80 — a 4.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $1,875.10. 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.