Prices at 5 hospitals in Cincinnati, OH, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,169 — 37% below the US median ($1,843), roughly 6.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Samaritan Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $495 | — | ★ 4/5 | 157 min | 14.3% |
| Bethesda North | Cincinnati, OH | $495 | — | ★ 3/5 | 151 min | 15.5% |
| Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center | Cincinnati, OH | $1,169 | $352 | — | — | — |
| Christ Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $1,351 | $401 | ★ 5/5 | 163 min | 14.0% |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Llc | Cincinnati, OH | $1,440 | $325 | ★ 3/5 | 276 min | 15.9% |
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)
Typical cash price here is $1,169 — about 6.0× the Medicare rate ($195). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($391).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $2,252 list price could save about $1,083 (48%).
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 without contrast prices in Ohio → · All MRI of the brain without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Cincinnati