Abdominal MRI cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 7 hospitals list a cash price for MRI of the abdomen without contrast as an inpatient: from $380.23 to $2,294.00, with a median of $1,381.10. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center South — $1,000.87 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $2,294.00 at 17 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 cities for code 74181, 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA HC Chg MRI Abdomen W/O Contrast Material | $380.23 | $844.95 | $285.95–$814.43 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA HC Chg MRI Abdomen W/O Contrast Material | $423.92 | $942.05 | $285.95–$1,548.00 | 55% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA HC MRI Abdomen WO Contrast | $1,141.70 | $1,631.00 | $230.56–$1,631.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA HC MRI Abdomen WO Contrast | $1,381.10 | $1,973.00 | $150.72–$2,456.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA HC MRI Abdomen WO Contrast | $1,673.70 | $2,391.00 | $115.28–$2,391.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA HC Chg MRI Abdomen W/O Contrast Material | $1,729.35 | $3,843.00 | $230.56–$3,266.55 | 55% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA HC MRI-Abdomen Non Contrast | $2,294.00 | $2,294.00 | $285.02–$2,294.00 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $380.23, median $1,381.10, highest $2,294.00 — a 6.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $1,527.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 of 7 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 abdominal MRI without contrast images the liver, pancreas, kidneys and bile ducts. It is used, for example, to look at bile ducts (MRCP) or liver fat, without radiation.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the scan. The radiologist's reading may be billed separately.