Cost of a Brain MRI Visit
in Bakersfield
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Bakersfield's healthcare market shows limited Brain MRI specialist availability, with patients in this Central Valley city facing unique access challenges. Patients in Bakersfield pay between $70 and $585 for a Brain MRI visit, with a median of $123. The local market includes 0 active providers, consisting of 0 individual practitioners and 0 group practices.
Cost Summary for Brain MRI in Bakersfield
Low Estimate
$70
Median
$123
High Estimate
$585
Providers
99
74% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does mri brain compare to related procedures in California?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI Knee MRI of the knee without contrast | 73721 | $75 | $80 | $505 | 10,126 |
| MRI Lumbar Spine MRI of the lumbar spine without contrast | 72148 | $72 | $96 | $470 | 6,585 |
| CT Abdomen & Pelvis CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast | 74177 | $70 | $85 | $672 | 15,496 |
| CT Chest CT scan of the chest with contrast | 71260 | $25 | $85 | $521 | 10,242 |
Important: These are cost estimates only — not a quote and not medical advice.
The prices on this page are self-pay rates, drawn from federal Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files (CPT 70553 — MRI brain without contrast, then with contrast). They represent what a patient might pay without insurance.
Your actual cost depends on: your specific insurance plan, your remaining deductible, your coinsurance percentage, whether you have met your out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility and provider are both in-network, and any separate anesthesia or implant fees billed independently.
This page does not constitute medical advice. Whether you need this procedure, and which approach is right for you, is a decision to make with a licensed healthcare provider.
Where this data comes from & what CPT 70553 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 70553 (MRI brain without contrast, then with contrast), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 70553 covers: the provider's professional fee for mri brain. It does not include facility/hospital fees, anesthesia, pre-operative imaging, post-operative care, or any add-on codes billed separately.
How to read this data
Negotiated Rate
The discounted price an insurer has agreed to pay a specific provider. Most insured patients' bills are calculated from this number, not the higher list price hospitals publish separately.
P5, Median, P95
P5 is the rate at the 5th percentile (low end), Median is the middle value, and P95 is the 95th percentile (high end). This range shows how much the same visit can vary between providers.
What this does not tell you
These rates do not tell you what you personally will pay out of pocket. That depends on your specific plan, how much of your deductible you have already met, your coinsurance rate, and whether the provider is in your network. Call your insurer's member line to get your exact estimate.
Is It Cheaper to See a Brain MRI Near Bakersfield?
Comparing costs to nearby cities, Bakersfield patients may find more affordable options by traveling to Santa Clarita, where the median cost is $85, saving $38 compared to Bakersfield's median. Pasadena also offers lower rates at $95 median, representing a $28 savings over local prices. However, Glendale costs significantly more at $215 median, making Bakersfield a more economical choice than some regional alternatives.
| City | Median Cost | vs. Bakersfield | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield (this city) | $123 | — | 99 |
| Santa Clarita73 mi away | $85 | -$38 | 12 |
| Glendale95.5 mi away | $215 | +$92 | 16 |
| Pasadena98.1 mi away | $95 | -$28 | 57 |
Nearby cities sorted by distance. Delta = nearby city median minus Bakersfield median. Provider count reflects active providers for this specialty.
Brain MRI Visit Costs by City in California — 2026
| City | Min Cost | Median Cost | Max Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roseville | $80 | $552 | $639 |
| Arcadia | $80 | $439 | $2,737 |
| South Lake Tahoe | $178 | $376 | $1,298 |
| Pomona | $80 | $291 | $1,101 |
| Fresno | $69 | $280 | $2,532 |
| La Jolla | $80 | $272 | $823 |
| Turlock | $80 | $243 | $839 |
| San Leandro | $58 | $240 | $739 |
| San Francisco | $80 | $227 | $751 |
| Loma Linda | $73 | $227 | $751 |
| Glendale | $86 | $215 | $672 |
| Rancho Mirage | $80 | $215 | $1,898 |
| Santa Rosa | $80 | $210 | $649 |
| Oakland | $60 | $208 | $842 |
| San Diego | $73 | $193 | $1,045 |
| Thousand Oaks | $85 | $187 | $556 |
| San Jose | $80 | $173 | $329 |
| Los Gatos | $80 | $173 | $717 |
| Santa Clara | $80 | $173 | $597 |
| Campbell | $80 | $173 | $552 |
| Milpitas | $126 | $173 | $173 |
| Morgan Hill | $80 | $173 | $390 |
| Ventura | $85 | $135 | $443 |
| Bakersfield (this city) | $70 | $123 | $585 |
| Tustin | $25 | $121 | $870 |
| Northridge | $76 | $121 | $470 |
| Redondo Beach | $83 | $117 | $552 |
| San Mateo | $80 | $114 | $862 |
| San Luis Obispo | $80 | $111 | $571 |
| Pleasanton | $80 | $104 | $552 |
| Los Altos | $80 | $103 | $751 |
| Riverside | $25 | $100 | $1,051 |
| Pasadena | $80 | $95 | $606 |
| West Hollywood | $90 | $90 | $420 |
| Beverly Hills | $85 | $90 | $456 |
| Marina Del Rey | $85 | $90 | $387 |
| Tarzana | $85 | $90 | $90 |
| Duarte | $25 | $90 | $918 |
| Culver City | $82 | $90 | $482 |
| Woodland Hills | $85 | $90 | $989 |
| Santa Barbara | $73 | $88 | $654 |
| Anaheim | $25 | $88 | $552 |
| Los Angeles | $80 | $85 | $539 |
| Santa Monica | $85 | $85 | $531 |
| Torrance | $80 | $85 | $552 |
| Burbank | $85 | $85 | $213 |
| Encino | $85 | $85 | $552 |
| Valencia | $85 | $85 | $506 |
| Van Nuys | $80 | $85 | $759 |
| Westlake Village | $85 | $85 | $198 |
| Mission Viejo | $25 | $85 | $494 |
| Sylmar | $52 | $85 | $596 |
| West Hills | $81 | $85 | $732 |
| Porter Ranch | $77 | $85 | $85 |
| Simi Valley | $81 | $85 | $828 |
| Manhattan Beach | $85 | $85 | $435 |
| Whittier | $35 | $85 | $552 |
| Calabasas | $80 | $85 | $85 |
| Los Alamitos | $25 | $85 | $467 |
| Santa Clarita | $83 | $85 | $90 |
| Sherman Oaks | $83 | $85 | $1,731 |
| Stanford | $80 | $80 | $315 |
| Palo Alto | $80 | $80 | $171 |
| Irvine | $25 | $80 | $500 |
| Modesto | $80 | $80 | $147 |
| Mountain View | $80 | $80 | $552 |
| Newport Beach | $25 | $80 | $634 |
| Long Beach | $25 | $80 | $806 |
| Palm Springs | $25 | $80 | $85 |
| Redwood City | $80 | $80 | $377 |
| Menlo Park | $80 | $80 | $303 |
| Santa Ana | $25 | $80 | $147 |
| Fremont | $80 | $80 | $552 |
| Fountain Valley | $25 | $80 | $299 |
| Fullerton | $25 | $80 | $572 |
| Salinas | $80 | $80 | $755 |
| Yorba Linda | $25 | $80 | $90 |
| Sunnyvale | $80 | $80 | $173 |
| Burlingame | $80 | $80 | $84 |
| Emeryville | $80 | $80 | $80 |
| Livermore | $80 | $80 | $461 |
| Laguna Hills | $25 | $60 | $441 |
| Costa Mesa | $25 | $52 | $80 |
Costs reflect self-pay estimates based on insurer-negotiated rates. Insured patients may pay significantly less depending on plan type, deductible status, and network tier.
Jayant Panwar
CEO, Momentary Labs · San Francisco, CA
Jayant has analyzed healthcare pricing data from CMS Transparency in Coverage files since 2022, covering more than 50 million negotiated rate records across all 50 states. His work focuses on making insurer machine-readable files accessible to patients and researchers.
The cost figures on this page reflect his ongoing work to make this data accessible to patients.