Prices at 14 hospitals in Philadelphia, PA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $4,905 — 125% above the US median ($2,176), roughly 18.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shriners Hospitals for Children-Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $2,639 | $358 | — | — | — |
| Nazareth Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $3,303 | $677 | ★ 2/5 | 216 min | 14.5% |
| St Christopher's Hospital for Children | Philadelphia, PA | $6,507 | $1,727 | — | — | — |
| Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | Philadelphia, PA | $6,820 | $2,384 | ★ 4/5 | 316 min | 15.2% |
| Hospital of Univ of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | $10,891 | $2,832 | ★ 5/5 | 280 min | 14.4% |
| Philadelphia VA Medical Center | Philadelphia, PA | $11,193 | $3,745 | ★ 5/5 | — | 14.5% |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $11,193 | $3,745 | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania Hospital | Philadelphia, PA | $11,605 | $2,469 | ★ 4/5 | 272 min | 15.8% |
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)
Typical cash price here is $4,905 — about 18.2× the Medicare rate ($269). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($538).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $10,891 list price could save about $5,986 (55%).
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 Pennsylvania → · All MRI of the brain with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Philadelphia