Scans and imaging CPT 70553 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye in Portland-South Portland, ME — inpatient

In Portland-South Portland, ME, 4 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the brain, with and without contrast dye as an inpatient: from $2,174.90 to $5,343.85, with a median of $3,374.90. The lowest listed price is at MaineHealth.

Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 70553, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 9, 2025 and Sep 9, 2025.

Lowest$2,174.90MaineHealth
Median$3,374.90half pay less
Highest$5,343.85in this market
Difference2.5×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 Portland-South Portland, ME.

median
Lowest $2,174.90Highest $5,343.85

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceOff listFile date
MaineHealth lowest Brunswick, ME HC MRI BRAIN STEM W/O & W/ CONTRAST $2,174.90 $2,174.90 Sep 9, 2025
source file
MaineHealth Portland, ME HC MRI BRAIN STEM W/O & W/ CONTRAST $2,999.20 $2,999.20 Sep 9, 2025
source file
York Hospital York, ME MRI BRAIN W/WO GAD 70553 $3,750.60 $6,251.00 40%
source file
MaineHealth Biddeford, ME HC MRI BRAIN STEM W/O & W/ CONTRAST $5,343.85 $5,343.85 Sep 9, 2025
source file

Inpatient: lowest $2,174.90, median $3,374.90, highest $5,343.85 — a 2.5× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $2,999.20 — 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.