Knee MRI cost in Baton Rouge, LA — inpatient
In Baton Rouge, LA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of knee or other lower-limb joint, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $362.60 to $2,213.30, with a median of $563.52. The lowest listed price is at Ochsner St Mary — $200.92 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $1,084.02 at 51 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 73721, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Baton Rouge, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner St Mary lowest Morgan City, LA · (985) 384-2200 HC MRI LOW EXT JT W/O CONTR | $362.60 | $1,813.00 | — | 80% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center - Baton Rouge Baton Rouge, LA · (225) 752-2470 HC MRI LOW EXT JT W/O CONTR | $563.52 | $1,761.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| Baton Rouge General Medical Center one side Baton Rouge, LA · (225) 387-7767 MRI LO EXT ANY JOINT W/O RT | $2,213.30 | $3,161.85 | $138.78–$2,434.62 | 30% | — source file |
| Baton Rouge General Medical Center one side Baton Rouge, LA · (225) 387-7767 MRI LO EXT ANY JOINT W/O LT | $2,213.30 | $3,161.85 | $138.78–$2,434.62 | 30% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $362.60, median $563.52, highest $2,213.30 — a 6.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $964.78 — 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. 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 a lower-limb joint makes detailed pictures of the joint, usually the knee, though the code also covers the hip and ankle. It shows ligaments, cartilage, the meniscus and tendons that do 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.