MRI cost in California with insurance (2026): what insurers pay
MRI cost in California with insurance, 2026: insurers pay a typical $416 to $606 for an MRI at doctors' offices and imaging centers, depending on what is scanned and whether contrast is used. Typical rates: lumbar spine MRI $416, knee MRI $434, shoulder MRI $434, cervical spine MRI $419, brain MRI $431, brain MRI without and with contrast $606. Rates from the published files of Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna, in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Los Angeles.
MRI prices by type
| Scan | Typical rate | By insurer and area | Original Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumbar spine MRI CPT 72148 | $416 | $279 to $563 | $218 to $257 |
| Knee MRI CPT 73721 | $434 | $297 to $597 | $234 to $277 |
| Shoulder MRI CPT 73221 | $434 | $297 to $577 | $235 to $278 |
| Cervical spine MRI CPT 72141 | $419 | $280 to $546 | $217 to $256 |
| Brain MRI CPT 70551 | $431 | $289 to $571 | $223 to $262 |
| Brain MRI without and with contrast CPT 70553 | $606 | $474 to $870 | $362 to $427 |
Typical rate: the middle of the insurer medians across areas, leaving out Anthem's rate menu. By insurer and area: the lowest to highest insurer median in any one area, including Anthem. Original Medicare varies by area.
What each insurer pays
| Scan | Anthem Blue Cross | Blue Shield of California | Aetna | UnitedHealthcare | Cigna |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lumbar spine MRI | $438 | $318 | $475 | $372 | $487 |
| Knee MRI | $465 | $340 | $487 | $389 | $502 |
| Shoulder MRI | $469 | $339 | $482 | $387 | $497 |
| Cervical spine MRI | $437 | $319 | $473 | $372 | $487 |
| Brain MRI | $438 | $329 | $482 | $386 | $503 |
| Brain MRI without and with contrast | $671 | $541 | $594 | $617 | $739 |
Each insurer's figure is the middle of its area medians. Anthem Blue Cross figures reflect the menu of rates Anthem lists across its contracts, not contract-specific prices (why), so the typical rate leaves Anthem out. Kaiser Permanente is not listed: most Kaiser care is prepaid inside its own system, and it does not publish usable per-service rates.
Why MRI prices vary
- The body part. Each part of the body has its own billing code and its own rate.
- Contrast dye. An MRI with contrast, or without and then with contrast, is billed under a different code and is paid more than the same scan without it.
- Where you get it. Insurers usually pay freestanding imaging centers far less than hospital outpatient departments for the same scan. If your doctor orders an MRI, you can often choose where to have it, but check your plan's rules and any prior authorization first: many HMOs send imaging through their medical group.
Paying without insurance
The rates on this page are what insurers pay in network, not cash prices. If you are paying yourself, they are still a useful benchmark: ask the provider for its self-pay price before you book and compare it with these rates. Many freestanding imaging centers post cash prices for scans. Hospitals must publish a discounted cash price under federal price transparency rules, and if you are uninsured or paying yourself, the No Surprises Act entitles you to a written good faith estimate before scheduled care.
Get the price for your exact plan
An insurer has many contracts, and each plan uses one of them. The figures on this page cover all of an insurer's contracts in the area. The price for your plan depends on which one applies, and that is set by your employer or, if you buy your own coverage, by the plan you chose. The plan name is on your insurance card.
Your insurer's own cost tool gives a plan-specific estimate once you sign in:
- Anthem Blue Cross: Anthem's Find Care and cost estimates
- Blue Shield of California: Blue Shield's Treatment Cost Estimator
- Aetna: Aetna's Find Care cost estimates
- UnitedHealthcare: UnitedHealthcare's price transparency tool
- Cigna: the myCigna cost estimator (sign in)
AI assistants can look it up too. Arlo's free price transparency API and the Arlo MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT take a service, a ZIP code and a plan, and return nearby in-network providers with their negotiated rates.
Where these numbers come from
Rates come from the price transparency files Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna publish. We clean the files before summarizing them and only show an insurer when enough providers report a rate. Medicare figures are from the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule. More on how these pages are built.