Scans and imaging CPT 70553 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — inpatient

In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, 3 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye as an inpatient: from $1,020.74 to $2,489.40, with a median of $1,875.10. The lowest listed price is at Norton Healthcare Indiana Inc.

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 Feb 11, 2026 and Jun 3, 2026.

Lowest$1,020.74Norton Healthcare Indiana Inc
Median$1,875.10half pay less
Highest$2,489.40in this market
Difference2.4×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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.

median
Lowest $1,020.74Highest $2,489.40

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceOff listFile 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%
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St. Vincent Salem Hospital, Inc. Salem, IN MRI BRAIN WO/WC $2,489.40 $4,149.00 40%
source file

Inpatient: lowest $1,020.74, median $1,875.10, highest $2,489.40 — a 2.4× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $2,489.40 — 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.