MRI of the brain with contrast cost in Houston, TX

Prices at 10 hospitals in Houston, TX, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $8,068 — 271% above the US median ($2,176), roughly 30.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Houston, TX $2,036 ★ 4/5 252 min 14.6%
Memorial Hermann Hospital System Houston, TX $2,036 ★ 3/5 229 min 14.8%
St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage Houston, TX $2,225 $1,110 ★ 4/5 214 min 15.0%
St Joseph Medical Center Houston, TX $7,222 $489 ★ 3/5 189 min 15.2%
HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest Houston, TX $8,068 $828 ★ 2/5 140 min 15.6%
HCA Houston Healthcare West Houston, TX $8,068 $828 ★ 1/5 112 min 15.6%
Healthbridge Childrens's Hospital of Houston Houston, TX $8,068 $828
Texas Orthopedic Hospital Houston, TX $13,719 $828 106 min 14.1%
HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center Houston, TX $14,793 $1,256 ★ 4/5 80 min 14.9%

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated June 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$8,068
Cash / self-pay
$8,068
Insurer-negotiated
$828
Medicare pays
$269
$2,036$13,934
Median cash $8,068  ·  Medicare $269  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $8,068 — about 30.0× the Medicare rate ($269). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($538).

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

All MRI of the brain with contrast prices in Texas → · All MRI of the brain with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Houston