MRI of the knee with contrast cost in California

Prices at 148 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,846 — 67% above the US median ($2,307), roughly 12.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $754 $1,281 — 114 min —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $805 $993 ★ 3/5 191 min —
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $808 — ★ 2/5 194 min —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $873 — — 121 min —
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $970 $1,115 ★ 1/5 160 min —
Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 3/5 188 min —
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 2/5 134 min —
West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 2/5 190 min —
Huntington Beach Hospital Huntington Beach, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 1/5 158 min —
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 3/5 204 min —
Desert Valley Hospital Victorville, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 3/5 167 min —
Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 2/5 140 min —
Shasta Regional Medical Center Redding, CA $1,003 $1,003 ★ 2/5 156 min —
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $1,064 $1,008 ★ 4/5 194 min —
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA $1,064 $1,008 ★ 5/5 186 min —
Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA $1,064 $1,008 ★ 5/5 — —
Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas Encinitas, CA $1,064 $1,008 ★ 4/5 200 min —
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $1,130 $1,004 ★ 2/5 178 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $1,130 $1,004 ★ 4/5 190 min —
College Medical Center Long Beach, CA $1,200 $995 ★ 3/5 322 min —
College Hospital Cerritos, CA $1,200 $995 — — —
Glendora Hospital Glendora, CA $1,200 $995 — — —
Fresno Surgical Hospital Fresno, CA $1,369 $749 — — —
St Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton Stockton, CA $1,577 $1,459 ★ 3/5 225 min —
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $1,601 $392 ★ 1/5 306 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$6,297
Cash / self-pay
$3,846
Insurer-negotiated
$1,107
Medicare pays
$315
$1,051$7,678
Median cash $3,846  ·  Medicare $315  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $3,846 — about 12.2× the Medicare rate ($315). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($630).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $6,297 list price could save about $2,451 (39%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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.

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MRI of the knee with contrast cost in other states

All MRI of the knee with contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →