Prices at 178 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,036 — 67% above the US median ($1,820), roughly 15.5× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai | Ojai, CA | $521 | $885 | — | 114 min | — |
| Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District | Brawley, CA | $679 | $302 | ★ 3/5 | 191 min | — |
| Ventura County Medical Center | Ventura, CA | $781 | $326 | ★ 2/5 | 178 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura | Ventura, CA | $781 | $326 | ★ 4/5 | 190 min | — |
| Kern Medical Center | Bakersfield, CA | $788 | $203 | ★ 1/5 | 306 min | — |
| San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital | Banning, CA | $835 | $305 | ★ 3/5 | 194 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center | Merced, CA | $879 | $525 | ★ 3/5 | 224 min | — |
| St Rose Hospital | Hayward, CA | $900 | $429 | ★ 1/5 | 160 min | — |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital | San Diego, CA | $913 | $307 | ★ 4/5 | 194 min | — |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla | La Jolla, CA | $913 | $307 | ★ 5/5 | 186 min | — |
| Scripps Green Hospital | La Jolla, CA | $913 | $307 | ★ 5/5 | — | — |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas | Encinitas, CA | $913 | $307 | ★ 4/5 | 200 min | — |
| Colorado River Medical Center | Needles, CA | $946 | — | — | 121 min | — |
| College Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $1,013 | $304 | ★ 3/5 | 322 min | — |
| College Hospital | Cerritos, CA | $1,013 | $304 | — | — | — |
| Glendora Hospital | Glendora, CA | $1,013 | $304 | — | — | — |
| Healdsburg Hospital | Healdsburg, CA | $1,073 | $1,149 | — | 94 min | — |
| Mercy General Hospital | Sacramento, CA | $1,237 | $633 | ★ 3/5 | 170 min | — |
| Mercy Hospital | Bakersfield, CA | $1,237 | $633 | ★ 3/5 | 193 min | — |
| Mercy San Juan Medical Center | Carmichael, CA | $1,237 | $633 | ★ 3/5 | 197 min | — |
| Antelope Valley Hospital | Lancaster, CA | $1,260 | $351 | ★ 1/5 | 264 min | — |
| St Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton | Stockton, CA | $1,264 | $525 | ★ 3/5 | 225 min | — |
| Kaweah Health Medical Center | Visalia, CA | $1,411 | $1,345 | ★ 3/5 | 254 min | — |
| UCI Health-Orange | Orange, CA | $1,431 | $414 | ★ 4/5 | 318 min | — |
| UCI Health-Los Alamitos | Los Alamitos, CA | $1,431 | $414 | ★ 1/5 | 238 min | — |
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 October 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 $3,036 — about 15.5× 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 $5,481 list price could save about $2,445 (45%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
By city
MRI of the brain without contrast cost in other states
All MRI of the brain without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →