Knee MRI cost in Carlsbad, NM — inpatient
In Carlsbad-Artesia, NM, 2 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of knee or other lower-limb joint, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $1,137.40 to $1,471.80, with a median of $1,304.60. The lowest listed price is at Carlsbad Medical Center — $167.20 less than the median here. Across New Mexico, the median is $1,656.42 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 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 Feb 20, 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 Carlsbad-Artesia, NM.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad Medical Center lowest Carlsbad, NM · (575) 887-4570 MR-LW JOINT WO | $1,137.40 | $5,687.00 | $1,137.40–$5,288.91 | 80% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 ORTHO MRI JNT LOWER EXT | $1,471.80 | $2,453.00 | $399.38–$2,330.35 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital one side Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 MRI LE JNT W/O RT | $2,436.00 | $4,060.00 | $399.38–$3,857.00 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 CB MRI LE JNT W/O | $2,436.00 | $4,060.00 | $399.38–$3,857.00 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 MRI LE JNT W/O | $2,436.00 | $4,060.00 | $399.38–$3,857.00 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,137.40, median $1,304.60, highest $1,471.80 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $1,020.25 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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 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.