MRI Brain Cost in Montana (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay
What does a mri brain cost in Montana?
The cost of an mri brain in Montana depends on how you pay. With commercial insurance it typically runs $360–$1,808, facility and physician fees combined. Medicare pays one national rate to every provider, and you generally owe about 20% of it (around $71) after the Part B deductible. Without insurance, posted hospital cash prices run $206–$2,370. The sections below break this down by coverage and by insurer. This estimate is based on CMS fee schedules and hospital price transparency data published under federal law.
Three low-priced facilities in Montana, from hospital price files
- Fallon Medical Complex · Baker, MT $218
- St Luke Community Hospital and Nursing Home · Ronan, MT $224
- St. James Healthcare INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTH ST JAMES HOSPITAL · Butte, MT $246
Free: the typical range and the facilities above. Add your email and we send the full ranked list of all 36 facilities (PDF) plus a checklist of what to ask before you book. We don't sell your information (privacy policy).
Where mri brain costs vary in Montana
Pins show hospitals with price-transparency data (colored by vs. state average) and nearby imaging centers and other facilities (colored by type). Click any pin for facility name and estimated cost range.
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Cheapest MRI Brain Providers in Montana
Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.
| # | Facility | City | Price | vs Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, MT | $102 | -$000 |
| 2 | Fallon Medical Complex | Baker, MT | $218 | -$606 |
| 3 | St Luke Community Hospital and Nursing Home | Ronan, MT | $224 | -$600 |
| 4 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, MT | $105 | -$000 |
| 5 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, MT | $106 | -$000 |
| 6 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, MT | $107 | -$000 |
| 7 | St. James Healthcare INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTH ST JAMES HOSPITAL | Butte, MT | $246 | -$578 |
| 8 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, MT | $109 | -$000 |
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Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.
Email me this price comparison plus what to ask before booking
Sends a PDF with all 36 facilities ranked cheapest first, plus a short checklist of questions that change what you pay. We don't sell your information (privacy policy).
Before you book: three questions that change the price
- Is this the self-pay price, and does it include the doctor, anesthesia and any lab or pathology? Those are often billed separately.
- Can you give me the price in writing, with the billing codes it covers?
- What happens to the price if something extra is needed during the procedure?
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Quick take
- Billings Clinic is the lowest-cost option at $207 - $617 below the state median, just by choosing where you go.
- Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met - the median cash price here is $824, and it's often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied.
- Independent imaging centers often charge much less than hospital outpatient departments for the same scan and may not appear in this hospital-only dataset - ask your doctor whether one is an option.
| Coverage | Hospitals with a rate | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare (national rate) | — | $266 to $356 | $356 |
| With insurance (commercial, average) | 20 | $312 to $2,385 | $1,148 |
| Without insurance (cash price) | 36 | $206 to $2,370 | $824 |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana | 15 | $406 to $2,528 | $1,493 |
| Cigna | 8 | $281 to $2,517 | $1,692 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 7 | $989 to $2,967 | $2,002 |
| Aetna | 3 | $1,602 to $2,214 | $1,715 |
Rates are negotiated allowed amounts and cash prices from hospital price-transparency files (October 2026), shown at each hospital’s lowest-priced typical billing code for this procedure. Facility fees only. The typical range is the middle 80% of hospitals, not a quote for your visit.
How much does an MRI Brain cost with Medicare in Montana?
Medicare's national hospital outpatient payment for MRI Brain is about $266 to $356 (typically near $356). After the $257 Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, about $71 on a $356 payment, with no out-of-pocket cap unless you have supplemental coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan.
Doctor, anesthesia and pathology fees are billed separately. Medicare rates are national CMS amounts, adjusted slightly by local wage levels.
How much does an MRI Brain cost with insurance in Montana?
Across 20 Montana hospitals, the negotiated rates commercial insurers pay for MRI Brain average $312 to $2,385 per hospital, with a median near $1,148. That is the amount your plan and you pay the hospital together; you owe your deductible, then coinsurance, up to your out-of-pocket maximum.
Each hospital’s figure is the average of the commercial insurers it lists. Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid rates are excluded.
How much does an MRI Brain cost without insurance in Montana?
Cash (self-pay) prices for MRI Brain at 36 Montana hospitals range from $206 to $2,370, with a median of $824. Ask for the cash or self-pay price and for any financial-assistance discount before you book; both can be lower than the posted price.
Cash prices are the hospital’s published discounted rate for patients paying without insurance.
How much does an MRI Brain cost with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana?
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana negotiated rates for MRI Brain at 15 Montana hospitals range from $406 to $2,528, with a median near $1,493. Your own cost depends on your plan’s deductible and coinsurance, and on whether the hospital is in your network.
Includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Anthem plans listed by each hospital.
How much does an MRI Brain cost with Cigna in Montana?
Cigna negotiated rates for MRI Brain at 8 Montana hospitals range from $281 to $2,517, with a median near $1,692. If a hospital is out of network for your Cigna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.
How much does an MRI Brain cost with UnitedHealthcare in Montana?
UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates for MRI Brain at 7 Montana hospitals range from $989 to $2,967, with a median near $2,002. If a hospital is out of network for your UnitedHealthcare plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.
How much does an MRI Brain cost with Aetna in Montana?
Aetna negotiated rates for MRI Brain at 3 Montana hospitals range from $1,602 to $2,214, with a median near $1,715. If a hospital is out of network for your Aetna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.
How where you go changes what you pay for mri brain
The same mri brain bundles different services depending on the setting - facility fee, surgeon fee, and anesthesia each arrive as separate bills. Estimated ranges below reflect the typical full bundled cost, including all expected charges.
- Facility fee $79–$3,860
- Professional fee $300–$1,300
Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers
- Facility fee $218–$3,860
- Professional fee $300–$1,300
Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers
- technical_component $232–$483
- professional_interpretation $123–$328
Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers
CommonSpirit Health (formerly SCL Health) and RiverStone Health cover most of Montana's population. The state's vast geography means most residents have little or no practical alternative to their nearest facility, effectively eliminating competitive pricing pressure outside Billings and Missoula. Critical access hospitals are widespread and use cost-based reimbursement for Medicare. Brain MRI pricing follows the same site-of-service pattern as other MRI, with hospital outpatient rates running 4–8× higher than freestanding imaging centers for an identical scan. With-contrast protocols (typically ordered for lesion characterization or post-treatment surveillance) carry a higher CPT code and higher price than non-contrast studies. If ordered as a non-urgent outpatient study, scheduling at a freestanding imaging center is the single most effective way to reduce cost.
Received a bill? Check it for errors → Estimate YOUR cost before you go → Managing more than one bill? See the family tracker →
Why prices vary - and what it means for your coverage
Setting matters too: the median outpatient price is $811 versus $1,510 inpatient (about 1.9× more), so where a procedure happens often matters more than which hospital you pick. Whether the scan happens in a hospital outpatient department (which adds a separate facility fee) or a freestanding imaging center is usually the single biggest driver of price for this procedure.
What you pay out of pocket on top of this depends on your deductible, your plan's out-of-pocket maximum, and whether every provider involved is in-network - not just the facility.
| Your situation | Estimated out-of-pocket |
|---|---|
| Deductible not yet met | ~$946 |
| Deductible met - 20% coinsurance | ~$189 |
| Out-of-network provider | $2,081+ |
Frequently asked questions: MRI Brain costs in Montana
How much does an MRI Brain cost in Montana?
The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $244, with most facilities between $195 and $520 (based on 34 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). Full market pricing - including cash rates, gross charges, and outlier facilities - ranges more widely, from $112 to $7,110 across all 36 Montana hospitals that publish prices. What you pay depends on the facility, your insurance, and whether you have met your deductible.
Where is the cheapest place to get an MRI Brain in Montana?
Based on declared prices, the lowest-cost facility in our Montana data is Northern Montana Hospital in Havre at about $79. Independent imaging centers are often cheaper still and may not appear in hospital price data - ask your doctor whether one is an option.
Why is an MRI Brain so much cheaper at some Montana hospitals?
Prices vary up to 63.5× because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In Montana, the median cash (self-pay) price is $824 versus a median negotiated rate of $1,148 - cash is the lower number at many hospitals. Asking for the cash price as well as your insurer's negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on what you pay.
How much will I actually pay out of pocket for an MRI Brain in Montana?
Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the facility is in-network - not just the sticker price. If you have not met your deductible, you will typically pay the negotiated rate in full until you do. Use the CostKits cost forecaster to estimate your specific out-of-pocket amount before you go.
Before you book
- How to read your medical bill
- How to stop medical bill problems before they start
- How to negotiate your medical bills
- Allowed amount vs negotiated rate: what your EOB is really saying
- How to read a Medicare Summary Notice
Other procedures in Montana
MRI Brain, elsewhere
What matters before you schedule
Imaging center vs. hospital
Hospital outpatient departments typically charge 2-4x more than independent imaging centers for the same mri brain - same outcome, very different bill. The ER charges the most of any setting and should only be used when the situation is medically urgent. Call ahead and ask for a self-pay or cash quote at each setting you're considering.
With vs. without contrast
Which type your doctor orders for this mri brain changes the billing code, and what you pay. For example: A standard mri brain with no contrast dye - the most common and lowest-cost version.
This is shoppable
MRI Brain is elective and schedulable, so you have time to compare facilities before booking - hospital outpatient prices often run 2-4x higher than alternative settings for the identical clinical outcome.
What to ask before you book
Get the CPT code from your doctor, confirm every provider involved (not just the facility) is in-network, ask for the cash-pay rate if you're uninsured or haven't met your deductible, and request a written estimate for mri brain before you schedule.
CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account).
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About the Author
John Caruso, FSA, MAAA
Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.
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