MRI Cost - Buyer Experiences and Price Information

Husband went in for an MRI due to a suspected Pituitary Gland Tumor. (tumor was found although it was too small to require surgery; another MRI is scheduled in a year to see if it grows.) The total charge of an MRI with Contrast injection of the Brain was almost 6k. However, our health insurance has put off the process claims until they receive requested notes for the MRI service; I don't know why they "need" the notes but whatever... I don't know what the cost is going to be after our Insurance pays it's share. I'll probably update this. when we finally recieve an EOB of what exactly our out of pocket is going to be.

I just wanted to let any of you in the Milwaukee Area without insurance going in for a similar procedure that out of pocket NO insurance for an MRI is $5952.88 good luck out there to anyone who is need of reading this.

I was having surgery on my knees for osteoarthritis, my MD ordered both knees and sent me to the outpatient center at the Hospital. Got the bill for MRI $10,000.00 for both knees and to read the films another $2500. My wife worked for a facility a few years before and was floored..

My insurance paid $1500 for the reading and $3000 for the imaging with the explanation that they paid 70% of Usual and Customary based on $1500 per knee and I was responsable for 30% of that. When I called and questioned the bill they told me they never received the checks that I dropped off personally to the billing department and my insurance reissued the checks. So, now they are saying that I owe the $7,000.00 balance?? How do I fight this. I checked around and MRI joints range from $1200 to $2000 in my area. This place is a rip off and he owns all the facilities in my town.

No Insurance, Self pay. $500. MRI of my brain for pituitary gland tumor. rnYou have to shop around and not use major medical centers. MRI through hospital would of been $7500.

The insurance paid all be $9,000.00. Yes the numbers are correct and I am questioning it thru BCBS of TX. After reviewing some websites, this bill may have been for ALL the MRIs the Hospital did on that Friday night.

My Podiatrist requested an MRI of my ankle (2 views)
The bill before Ins. 'discounts' was;
St. Joesephs Hospital (procedure): $6,127.06
(3126.56 + 3000.50)
Medical xray consultants (read MRI): $965.00
(474.30 + 490.70)
My "responsibility" after Ins. is;
Procedure: $1,090.52
Read MRI: $197.82

HAD A MRI FOR CANCER THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD BE ABOUT 4000 TOTAL.IT TOOK 20 MINUTES!IN,INSURANCE WIPED DISCOUNT OFF 2500 THEN AGAIN 2530 THEN INSURANCE PAID1900,I OWED 350$However I ran the numbers nothing would make sense.They are ripping us off!

Cheaper to Die. I was admitted to the emergency room due to symptoms of a heart-attack, unable to communicate for approx. 4 hours and therefore feel I was taken advantage of---during the testing. Even more scarier was I do believe they mis-diagnosed after doing research, I think I had a blood clot (TIA) not transit global amnesia. Anyway upon receiving my bill with the testing and approx. 7 hours of observation it cost more than I paid for my vehicle. I almost had a heart attack when I received the bill and even questioned if it was mine, due to the fact when released another patients medical info was attached to mine. Just blood work was $3782.45, I'm 59 nine years old and rather fit, query why they checked me for drugs such as cocaine/meth/barb (drugs I probably would never recognized let alone use). Unbelievable!!!!! MRI was $12,207.95. I'm retired and have decent ins. but it scares me to death because I have no idea what my ins. co. will pay and whatever remains I will be responsible for---and yet those who are not even citizens can go in have babies, get sewn up, then leave and never pay. This is America or at least I thought it was. I've worked hard all my life and paid my taxes and hopefully have been a solid citizens, but I'm fed up with our political party in Washington always wanting to give handout to those who don't even belong here. It would be wonderful if someone had the guts to step-up to the plate and control these cost, it seems hospitals can charge whatever because there are no guidelines/rules. In addition to the above I was charged over $700.00 just for the ambulance service, hospital is approx. 12 minutes away. One pill cost $184.00 this is criminal. Sad and Sicker than before!!!! Please advise if there is any recourse in this situation.

Outrageous cost. I had asked about the cost when I went in and was assured it was under 3k the entire system is broken, I am communicating with my insurance carrier now, the hospital will do nothing.
I do not mind paying a fair cost but a 20 minute test should in no way cost 7k. If they ran it around the clock the machine will generate 2 Billion per year at that rate. I understand the machines cost about 1 million. This is just a Total Outrageous Ripoff. There is no way to justify such actions by a medical facility, these are supposed to be people that we can place our trust in. THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS BROKEN.

Had not met $2400 deductible
Cost to me was $797

MRI with contrast $6420
Discount $1200
Insurance paid $4700
Coinsurance $ 520

1223.00 Total Cost
629.19 Insurance paid
483.52 Patient Balance

Had an MRI done here. Really nice people, no wait and the results were ready the same day!

Recently opened Low Cost MRI center to assist those with no insurance. Routine MRI scans are done with no waiting for $485. It's about time somebody is doing something about the high cost of medial care! Highly recommend

MRI of spine - cost was $10,800+ but I only paid $78.00 and insurance picked up the rest. I'm fortunate that I have good insurance, however, I think the cost insurance paid was absurd.

Abdominal MRI. Insurance paid for it but the bill was absurd. If an MRI machine costs $1 mill and they perform 8 procedures a day for $2K each the machine is paid for in 63 days.
The cost of the equipment obviously plays no role in the fees my insurance company paid. I could go on but what is the point? Our medical care system is broken.

Samaritan Diagnostics has prices around the $600 range for MRI's. They contract with providers around the country for people without insurance and for people with high deductibles. My dad saved $600 on a 24 hour holter monitor with them.

My doctor sent me for a brain MRI scan with dye to check the pituitary gland. Sutter billed $5696 for the procedure, ins covered $3484, my bill $2121!!! I came to this blog as I was checking for comperative pricing. This bill is outrageous... Shop around before you book..My doctor's office is affiliated with Sutter. Really???

I think I was lucky to spend on the lower end of the scale for an MRI on my back. I have a bulging disc between L5 and S1. (Which is still driving me nuts) My Chiropractor was able to negotiate me a better deal because I paid cash.

Mri on head and neck. Billed $8477.66
insurance covered $6291.66
I am suppose to cover $2186 out of pocket.
Something is seriuosly wrong here.

I wanted to know from my insurance how much the MRI will cost me so I can be prepared for the cost of the service. They told me the price is confidential, they can not tell me. Can you belive it?!!!! I will be paying for the service and I cannot know the price before the service

the cost was 80usd for the MRI and 12 usd for the Film, thank God for the Chinese Government supporting the people of China and the expats. We even get Chinese social security as of this year.

Told em' up front before MRI that I could not pay and could not promise to ever pay, and if service was performed it would be pure indigent care. They did the MRI and sent me a bill. Replied with repeat of what I told them before MRI, and told them never to bill me again. We'll see...

Normally it would have cost a $1000 deductible for a tier 1 hospital, and $2000 for a tier 2. Considering that without insurance it probably wouldn't have cost more than $2000, insurance seems worthless.

I feel like I got socked twice -- firstly, the cost seems inflated. Secondly, my insurance only covered 80% (after I met a costly deductable, of course). A test case in why we need health care reform.

i need an mri from top to bottom and i have no insurance.

I had to have an MRI of the neck done on Tuesday, December 8th and I'm having an MRI of my brain done today, December 10th. The MRI of my neck was long - an hour and a half- with contrast injection. However, the MRI tech was very kind and kept me calm during the procedure. Because I was referred by my GP, my insurance is covering the cost of the MRIs 100%.

When I made my appt.for the lumber MRI, the 1st thing they asked was "did I have insurance?" The actual cost of the MRI was approx. 2300.00, yet I rec'd a discount for being self-pay. They also offered a payment plan if I couldn't pay up front. The office staff was the best I have encountered and the equipment was state of the art. I was in and out within 30-45 min.

My son has a developmental delay and a neurologist suggested the MRI... well... the results were normal (as we knew!) but now we received an invoice for almost 15,000. (The MRI they performed it was on the brain, with contrast, the baby had to be sedated, and had to spend an hour in a hospital bed -recovery room-)

I had a stroke and was unconcious at the time. I have shrapnel in my body from Veitnam. As a precaution people with shrapnal in bodies arent supposed to have MRI. It tends to suck the shrapnal thru soft tissues and cartilage. Im now being sued for the cost of this procedure. Insurance that I had at the time didnt cover anything. That stroke cost me more than 15000 dollars and still being sued for balances. if any attorneys read this can ya help? I have never ever seen a copy of the MRI nor has VA ever recieved a copy that they requested.

Went to Radiology depart at a teaching hospital w 525 beds. Appoint was for 4pm, did not get test started until 6;30,completed test around 700 pm. Several stat paitents from ER had to go ahead of me that limited avail. of RTs (radiological tech)I had no prob. getting a CD burned of my scans for my records. I would suggest that unless you want to wait, look for imaging centers. Also, the RT seemed to be quite opinionated regarding who should get an MRI-said women w potential breast tumors exempt from insurance payments for services. I suspect that this personal bias could have influenced my delay to some extent. I did not see any of the triaged patients transported in the direction of the MRI. There was some communication prob. at radiology depart. desk due to a "teaching " session between a department clerk and a student. Twice, I had to go to desk questioning the wait. Finally, they "relocated" me to a waiting room for MRI scan patients who are ambulatory. This is where i waited for 30 min. prior to the scan. I am a very patient person and have worked in the medical field. the procedure should have been for me to have waited in the seperate waiting room for the MRI scan/not the general area where there was a risk of germ contamination.