Shoulder MRI cost in Seaford, DE
In Seaford, DE, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the shoulder, elbow or wrist joint, no contrast dye: from $2,145.00 to $4,498.20, with a median of $3,321.60. The lowest listed price is at TidalHealth Nanticoke — $1,176.60 less than the median here. Across Delaware, the median is $2,258.75 at 5 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 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 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 Seaford, DE.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TidalHealth Nanticoke lowest Seaford, DE · (302) 629-6611 HC MRI Upper Extrem Joint WO Cont | $2,145.00 | $2,145.00 | $140.19–$1,694.55 | — | — source file |
| Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus Milford, DE · (302) 422-3311 Hc Mri Joint Upr Extrem W/O Cont | $4,498.20 | $5,355.00 | — | 16% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $2,145.00, median $3,321.60, highest $4,498.20 — a 2.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $3,321.60. 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 not 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.