Cost of a Brain MRI Visit
in Rhode Island
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
Rhode Island's concentrated healthcare market, dominated by major health systems like Lifespan and Care New England, creates a unique pricing environment for medical imaging services. Brain MRI patients in Rhode Island typically pay between $88 and $879, with a median out-of-pocket cost of $321 based on negotiated insurance rates from 84 active providers across the state. Despite being the smallest state, Rhode Island maintains robust Brain MRI provider availability, allowing patients to browse multiple options within short driving distances.
Average
$429
Median
$321
Lowest
$88
Highest
$879
Providers
84
10% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does mri brain compare to related procedures in Rhode Island?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI Knee MRI of the knee without contrast | 73721 | $59 | $204 | $537 | 84 |
| MRI Lumbar Spine MRI of the lumbar spine without contrast | 72148 | $65 | $191 | $527 | 71 |
| CT Abdomen & Pelvis CT scan of abdomen and pelvis with contrast | 74177 | $79 | $283 | $827 | 86 |
| CT Chest CT scan of the chest with contrast | 71260 | $54 | $171 | $454 | 86 |
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.
Why Brain MRI Visit Costs Vary Across Rhode Island
Rhode Island's healthcare costs run approximately 13% above the national average, reflecting the state's higher cost of living and concentrated provider market. The Ocean State's small geographic footprint creates unique dynamics where patients can easily travel between urban Providence facilities and suburban imaging centers, intensifying competition in some market segments while limiting it in others.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
Providence and its surrounding metropolitan area concentrate the majority of Rhode Island's advanced imaging facilities, including academic medical centers and specialty neuroimaging practices. Rural areas in western and southern Rhode Island have fewer Brain MRI options, often requiring patients to travel 30-45 minutes to access imaging services. This geographic concentration can create scheduling bottlenecks during peak demand periods while offering cost advantages through provider competition in urban areas.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Hospital-based outpatient imaging departments at major Rhode Island health systems like Lifespan and Care New England typically charge higher facility fees due to their academic affiliations and 24/7 operational requirements. Independent imaging centers throughout the state often provide identical Brain MRI quality at lower total costs, as they avoid the overhead expenses associated with full-service hospitals. Freestanding facilities frequently offer more flexible scheduling and streamlined patient experiences compared to busy hospital departments.
Insurance Market Competition in Rhode Island
Rhode Island's insurance market features moderate competition among Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, UnitedHealthcare, and Tufts Health Plan, each negotiating separate rates with imaging providers. The state's relatively small size allows insurers to maintain tight provider networks, giving them leverage in rate negotiations but potentially limiting patient choice. This concentrated market structure can lead to significant cost variations between insurance plans for identical Brain MRI services at the same facility.
Physician Supply and Demand in Rhode Island
With 84 active Brain MRI providers serving approximately 1.1 million residents, Rhode Island maintains adequate radiologist availability relative to its population size. This healthy provider-to-population ratio helps moderate wait times and provides patients with meaningful choice when selecting imaging facilities. The presence of Brown University's medical programs attracts subspecialty-trained neuroradiologists to the state, enhancing the overall quality and availability of brain imaging interpretation services.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions — Brain MRI Costs in Rhode Island
What is the average cost of a Brain MRI visit in Rhode Island without insurance?
Does Rhode Island Medicaid cover Brain MRI visits?
How do I find an affordable Brain MRI near me in Rhode Island?
What is the difference in cost between an initial consultation and a follow-up visit?
Can I use an HSA or FSA to pay for a Brain MRI visit in Rhode Island?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a Brain MRI in Rhode Island?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 70553)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota Range: $221 – $3,100 | $1,291 |
| 2 | Minnesota Range: $88 – $3,100 | $1,247 |
| 3 | Wisconsin Range: $80 – $2,464 | $975 |
| 4 | Nevada Range: $135 – $1,458 | $698 |
| 5 | Georgia Range: $101 – $1,468 | $653 |
| 6 | Hawaii Range: $88 – $1,014 | $577 |
| 7 | Massachusetts Range: $90 – $1,060 | $567 |
| 8 | Maine Range: $178 – $1,023 | $548 |
| 9 | Wyoming Range: $100 – $1,112 | $537 |
| 10 | Utah Range: $94 – $1,045 | $510 |
| 11 | Nebraska Range: $208 – $793 | $504 |
| 12 | New Mexico Range: $98 – $1,063 | $492 |
| 13 | New Hampshire Range: $129 – $993 | $489 |
| 14 | Washington Range: $100 – $863 | $489 |
| 15 | North Carolina Range: $99 – $988 | $485 |
| 16 | Iowa Range: $95 – $842 | $483 |
| 17 | Colorado Range: $95 – $1,015 | $475 |
| 18 | Indiana Range: $85 – $1,014 | $471 |
| 19 | Louisiana Range: $92 – $766 | $468 |
| 20 | Alaska Range: $97 – $948 | $454 |
| 21 | South Dakota Range: $247 – $552 | $450 |
| 22 | West Virginia Range: $98 – $687 | $446 |
| 23 | Vermont Range: $82 – $983 | $443 |
| 24 | Virginia Range: $76 – $970 | $437 |
| 25 | Michigan Range: $80 – $917 | $430 |
| 26 | Rhode Island Range: $88 – $879 | $429 |
| 27 | Idaho Range: $88 – $793 | $428 |
| 28 | District of Columbia Range: $90 – $879 | $426 |
| 29 | Oregon Range: $103 – $623 | $426 |
| 30 | Illinois Range: $93 – $842 | $417 |
| 31 | New York Range: $82 – $926 | $417 |
| 32 | Tennessee Range: $109 – $823 | $417 |
| 33 | Montana Range: $100 – $590 | $414 |
| 34 | Kansas Range: $107 – $818 | $401 |
| 35 | Kentucky Range: $83 – $842 | $398 |
| 36 | South Carolina Range: $82 – $829 | $390 |
| 37 | Alabama Range: $88 – $811 | $384 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania Range: $57 – $879 | $384 |
| 39 | Oklahoma Range: $85 – $817 | $377 |
| 40 | Mississippi Range: $89 – $811 | $376 |
| 41 | New Jersey Range: $63 – $830 | $374 |
| 42 | Ohio Range: $78 – $813 | $373 |
| 43 | Texas Range: $90 – $721 | $355 |
| 44 | Maryland Range: $46 – $737 | $351 |
| 45 | Delaware Range: $98 – $596 | $345 |
| 46 | Missouri Range: $115 – $628 | $342 |
| 47 | Arkansas Range: $104 – $630 | $340 |
| 48 | Connecticut Range: $55 – $777 | $337 |
| 49 | Florida Range: $35 – $811 | $302 |
| 50 | Arizona Range: $100 – $550 | $288 |
| 51 | California Range: $55 – $654 | $265 |