MRI of knee or other lower-limb joint, no contrast dye in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of knee or other lower-limb joint, no contrast dye: from $552.00 to $7,689.00, with a median of $3,573.02. The lowest listed price is at Central Iowa Hospital Corporation.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 73721, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation lowest Des Moines, IA PR MRI LOWER EXTREM JT, W/O CONTRAST | $552.00 | $690.00 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation Des Moines, IA PR MRI LOWER EXTREM JT, W/O CONTRAST | $552.00 | $690.00 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp one side Des Moines, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $2,548.00 | $3,920.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp one side Des Moines, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $2,548.00 | $3,920.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton one side Newton, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $2,601.95 | $4,003.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton one side Newton, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $2,601.95 | $4,003.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation Des Moines, IA HC MRI LOW EXTR ANY JOINT WO CONTRAST | $3,573.02 | $4,466.27 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation Des Moines, IA HC MRI LOW EXTR ANY JOINT WO CONTRAST | $3,573.02 | $4,466.27 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp Des Moines, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Bl | $3,822.00 | $5,880.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Bl | $3,903.25 | $6,005.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton one side Newton, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $4,003.00 | — | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp one side West Des Moines, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Rt | $5,126.00 | $5,126.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp one side West Des Moines, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Lt | $5,126.00 | $5,126.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa Corp West Des Moines, IA HC MRI Lower Extremity Joint W/O Contrast Bl | $7,689.00 | $7,689.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $552.00, median $3,573.02, highest $7,689.00 — a 13.9× difference within the same market.
One side of the body : lowest $2,548.00, median $2,601.95, highest $5,126.00 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $3,573.02. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $2,601.95. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.