Shoulder MRI cost in Duluth, MN — inpatient
In Duluth, MN-WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the shoulder, elbow or wrist joint, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $477.09 to $872.53, with a median of $674.81. The lowest listed price is at Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital — $197.72 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $2,018.46 at 47 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 73221, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 29, 2026 and Apr 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 Duluth, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital lowest Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Pro MRI Joint Upr Extrem W/O Dye | $477.09 | $877.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Range Regional Health Services Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 HC MRI UPPER EXTREMITY JOINT W/O CONTRAST | $872.53 | $2,053.00 | $934.12–$2,042.94 | 57% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Rt Joint Upper Extrem W/O Contrast | $2,221.15 | $4,083.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 MRI ANY JT UPPER EXTREMITY W/O CONTRAST MATRL | $2,703.68 | $4,970.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $477.09, median $674.81, highest $872.53 — a 1.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $2,143.84 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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 and below every plan's rate. 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.