Prices at 68 hospitals in North Carolina, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,905 — 5% above the US median ($1,820), roughly 9.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke University Hospital | Durham, NC | $876 | $734 | ★ 5/5 | 317 min | — |
| Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital | Mooresville, NC | $876 | $580 | ★ 1/5 | 190 min | — |
| Duke Regional Hospital | Durham, NC | $876 | $734 | ★ 5/5 | 255 min | — |
| ECU Health Bertie Hospital | Windsor, NC | $890 | $988 | ★ 4/5 | 166 min | — |
| Alamance Regional Medical Center | Burlington, NC | $969 | $531 | ★ 3/5 | 228 min | — |
| Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, The | Greensboro, NC | $969 | $577 | ★ 3/5 | 224 min | — |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital | Winston-salem, NC | $1,176 | $908 | ★ 4/5 | 183 min | — |
| Lexington Memorial Hospital Inc | Lexington, NC | $1,202 | $1,068 | ★ 2/5 | 154 min | — |
| Wakemed, Raleigh Campus | Raleigh, NC | $1,347 | $1,285 | ★ 4/5 | 204 min | — |
| Wakemed, Cary Hospital | Cary, NC | $1,347 | $1,193 | ★ 5/5 | 196 min | — |
| Pender Memorial Hospital | Burgaw, NC | $1,373 | $963 | — | — | — |
| Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center | Winston-salem, NC | $1,378 | $505 | ★ 4/5 | 206 min | — |
| High Point Regional Health System | High Point, NC | $1,452 | $1,221 | ★ 2/5 | 247 min | — |
| UNC Rockingham | Eden, NC | $1,507 | $737 | ★ 4/5 | 187 min | — |
| Harris Regional Hospital | Sylva, NC | $1,520 | $2,956 | ★ 3/5 | 174 min | — |
| Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center | Charlotte, NC | $1,550 | $551 | ★ 5/5 | 162 min | — |
| Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center | Charlotte, NC | $1,586 | $653 | — | 192 min | — |
| Haywood Regional Medical Center | Clyde, NC | $1,588 | $820 | ★ 3/5 | 193 min | — |
| Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center | Supply, NC | $1,651 | $505 | ★ 4/5 | 181 min | — |
| Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast | Concord, NC | $1,765 | $1,529 | ★ 4/5 | 186 min | — |
| Atrium Health Cleveland | Shelby, NC | $1,765 | $978 | ★ 3/5 | 160 min | — |
| Atrium Health Anson | Wadesboro, NC | $1,765 | $1,104 | — | 118 min | — |
| Atrium Health Pineville | Charlotte, NC | $1,765 | $697 | ★ 3/5 | 160 min | — |
| Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health | Charlotte, NC | $1,765 | $936 | ★ 4/5 | 196 min | — |
| Stanly Regional Medical Center | Albemarle, NC | $1,765 | $1,070 | ★ 3/5 | 144 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 $1,905 — about 9.7× 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 $3,538 list price could save about $1,633 (46%).
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 North Carolina →