Shoulder MRI cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 6 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the shoulder, elbow or wrist joint, no contrast dye: from $179.01 to $2,433.00, with a median of $494.70. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital Medical Center — $315.69 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $1,264.25 at 72 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 73221, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Chg Mri Any Jt Upper Extremity W/O Contrast Matrl|By Midlevel | $179.01 | $351.00 | $39.31–$293.28 | 49% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Chg Mri Any Jt Upper Extremity W/O Contrast Matrl|By Specialist | $179.01 | $351.00 | $52.41–$351.00 | 49% | — source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC MR Upperext Jnt WO Con | $494.70 | $659.60 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC MR Upperext Jnt WO Con | $494.70 | $659.60 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC MR Upperext Jnt WO Con | $494.70 | $659.60 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Mri Upper Ex Joint Wo Cont | $1,953.81 | $3,831.00 | $167.99–$3,831.00 | 49% | — source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Mri Upper Extremity Jnt W/O Contrast | $2,433.00 | $4,055.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Mri Upper Extremity Jnt W/O Contrast | $2,433.00 | $4,055.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $179.01, median $494.70, highest $2,433.00 — a 13.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $1,463.85. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
An MRI of an upper-limb joint makes detailed pictures of one joint, most often the shoulder, though the code also covers the elbow and wrist. It shows tendons, ligaments, cartilage and the labrum, such as a rotator cuff tear that does not show on X-rays. No contrast dye is used.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the scan of one joint. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.