Knee MRI cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of knee or other lower-limb joint, no contrast dye as an inpatient: from $435.16 to $607.68, with a median of $546.44. The lowest listed price is at Ochsner Clinic Foundation — $111.28 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $851.31 at 53 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 73721, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC MRI LOW EXT JT W/O CONTR source file | $435.16 | $1,978.00 | — | 78% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC MRI LOW EXT JT W/O CONTR source file | $504.00 | $1,800.00 | — | 72% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC MRI LOW EXT JT W/O CONTR source file | $588.87 | $2,181.00 | — | 73% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC MRI LOW EXT JT W/O CONTR source file | $607.68 | $1,899.00 | — | 68% |
Inpatient: lowest $435.16, median $546.44, highest $607.68 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $650.08 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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.