MRI Cost in Nashville, TN (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay
What does a mri cost in Nashville, TN?
Where you have an mri done in Nashville, TN swings the bill from $143 to $294 for identical care. The median cash price across 22 reporting hospitals is $179. The numbers are pulled directly from federally mandated hospital price transparency files. The sections below break this down by coverage and by insurer.
Three low-priced facilities in Nashville, TN, from hospital price files
- TRISTAR HENDERSONVILLE MEDICAL CENTER · Portland, TN $100
- TRISTAR SUMMIT MEDICAL CENTER · Mt Juliet, TN $143
- Metro Nashville General Hospital · Nashville, TN $152
Free: the typical range and the facilities above. Add your email and we send the full ranked list of all 22 facilities (PDF) plus a checklist of what to ask before you book. We don't sell your information (privacy policy).
Where mri costs vary in Nashville, TN
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.
26+ people checked prices near them this month.
Hospital MRI costs run 2–5× more than independent imaging centers. Most patients never knew they had a choice.
Your personalized cost report includes:
- ✓ Why the exact same scan costs $400 at one site and $2,200 at another
- ✓ The separate radiologist bill most patients miss (and how to verify it's in-network)
- ✓ When contrast adds a charge - and when to ask if you need it
- ✓ The questions to ask before scheduling that protect you from surprise bills
- ✓ A real patient billing breakdown, line by line
Free for patients - takes 30 seconds to get.
We'll send a sign-in link to your email - click it to get your guide. No account required, no spam.
Cheapest MRI Providers in Nashville, TN
Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.
| # | Facility | City | Price | vs Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, TN | $340 | -$000 |
| 2 | TRISTAR HENDERSONVILLE MEDICAL CENTER | Portland, TN | $100 | -$79 |
| 3 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, TN | $342 | -$000 |
| 4 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, TN | $343 | -$000 |
| 5 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, TN | $344 | -$000 |
| 6 | TRISTAR SUMMIT MEDICAL CENTER | Mt Juliet, TN | $143 | -$36 |
| 7 | Metro Nashville General Hospital | Nashville, TN | $152 | -$27 |
| 8 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, TN | $347 | -$000 |
Your ranked price list is on its way to your email. Open the PDF now.
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 22 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?
Estimate your out-of-pocket cost → · When the bills arrive, we check them for errors →
Quick take
- Williamson County Hospital District is the lowest-cost option at $100 - $79 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 $179, 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) | — | $244 to $356 | $356 |
| With insurance (commercial, average) | 19 | $264 to $2,403 | $437 |
| Without insurance (cash price) | 23 | $100 to $311 | $179 |
| BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee | 18 | $210 to $517 | $354 |
| Cigna | 17 | $301 to $3,364 | $561 |
| Aetna | 15 | $526 to $565 | $530 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 6 | $373 to $3,622 | $373 |
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 cost with Medicare in Nashville, TN?
Medicare's national hospital outpatient payment for MRI is about $244 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 cost with insurance in Nashville, TN?
Across 19 Nashville, TN hospitals, the negotiated rates commercial insurers pay for MRI average $264 to $2,403 per hospital, with a median near $437. 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 cost without insurance in Nashville, TN?
Cash (self-pay) prices for MRI at 23 Nashville, TN hospitals range from $100 to $311, with a median of $179. 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 cost with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee in Nashville, TN?
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee negotiated rates for MRI at 18 Nashville, TN hospitals range from $210 to $517, with a median near $354. 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 cost with Cigna in Nashville, TN?
Cigna negotiated rates for MRI at 17 Nashville, TN hospitals range from $301 to $3,364, with a median near $561. 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 cost with Aetna in Nashville, TN?
Aetna negotiated rates for MRI at 15 Nashville, TN hospitals range from $526 to $565, with a median near $530. 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 much does an MRI cost with UnitedHealthcare in Nashville, TN?
UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates for MRI at 6 Nashville, TN hospitals range from $373 to $3,622, with a median near $373. If a hospital is out of network for your UnitedHealthcare plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.
HCA Healthcare, headquartered in Nashville, has significant hospital presence in its home state, creating pricing patterns more aligned with for-profit hospital economics than nonprofit systems in comparable markets. Vanderbilt University Medical Center anchors the Nashville academic tier. Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid under the ACA, maintaining a high uninsured rate that influences facility pricing structures. MRI pricing has some of the widest site-of-service spreads in all of imaging - hospital outpatient MRIs often cost 4–8× more than the same scan at a freestanding imaging center. With vs. without contrast and body part scanned are separate CPT codes with meaningfully different prices; confirm exactly what was ordered before scheduling. For non-urgent imaging, independent imaging centers offer the same diagnostic quality at a fraction of hospital prices.
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
A small number of hospitals (1) report prices above $553, including Saint Thomas Rehabilitation Hospital at $657, which drives most of the overall spread - excluding them, most facilities cluster in a much tighter band. Setting matters too: the median outpatient price is $179 versus $657 inpatient (about 3.7× 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.
On top of the facility price, your actual bill depends on your deductible, your out-of-pocket maximum, and whether every provider involved - not just the facility - is in-network.
| Your situation | Estimated out-of-pocket |
|---|---|
| Deductible not yet met | ~$179 |
| Deductible met - 20% coinsurance | ~$36 |
| Out-of-network provider | $394+ |
Frequently asked questions: MRI costs in Nashville, TN
How much does an MRI cost in Nashville, TN?
The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $166, with most facilities between $44 and $185 (based on 23 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). Full market pricing - including cash rates, gross charges, and outlier facilities - ranges more widely, from $51 to $657 across all 22 Nashville, TN 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 in Nashville, TN?
Based on declared prices, the lowest-cost facility in our Nashville, TN data is Sumner Regional Medical Center at about $51. By metro, Nashville has the lowest median ($246). 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 so much cheaper at some Nashville, TN hospitals?
Prices vary up to 12.9× because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In Nashville, TN, the median cash (self-pay) price is $179 versus a median negotiated rate of $437 - 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 in Nashville, TN?
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
- Allowed amount vs negotiated rate: what your EOB is really saying
- How to read your medical bill
- Deductible vs out-of-pocket max
- Already have a bill? Check it for errors
- How to read an EOB line by line
Other procedures in Nashville, TN
MRI, 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 - 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 changes the billing code, and what you pay. For example: A standard mri with no contrast dye - the most common and lowest-cost version.
This is shoppable
MRI 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 before you schedule.
CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account).
Other Procedure Costs in Nashville, TN
- Appendectomy Cost in Nashville, TN
- Cataract Surgery Cost in Nashville, TN
- Childbirth Cost in Nashville, TN
- Cholecystectomy Cost in Nashville, TN
- Colonoscopy Cost in Nashville, TN
- CT Scan (Abdomen) Cost in Nashville, TN
- CT Scan (Chest) Cost in Nashville, TN
- CT Scan (Head) Cost in Nashville, TN
- CT Scan Cost in Nashville, TN
- Echocardiogram Cost in Nashville, TN
- Emergency Room Visit Cost in Nashville, TN
- Endoscopy Cost in Nashville, TN
- Hip Replacement Cost in Nashville, TN
- Hysterectomy Cost in Nashville, TN
- Knee Replacement Cost in Nashville, TN
- Mammogram Cost in Nashville, TN
- Brain MRI Cost in Nashville, TN
- Knee MRI Cost in Nashville, TN
- Spinal Fusion Cost in Nashville, TN
- Ultrasound Cost in Nashville, TN
- X-Ray Cost in Nashville, TN
Related Articles
Interested in understanding healthcare costs and managing your medical expenses?
- Free Cost EstimatorCalculate your exact out-of-pocket cost for any procedure
- Free Bill ScreenerCheck whether your bill and paperwork are ready for a professional review
- Family Bill TrackerTrack costs across every family member and every bill in one place
- MRI Cost GuideCompare MRI prices across all 50 states
- Deductible vs Out-of-Pocket MaximumLearn how insurance cost-sharing works and what you actually pay
- Cost ExplorerBrowse procedures and compare prices across the country
- CT Scan Cost GuideFind detailed CT scan pricing for your state
- MRI Brain Cost GuideCompare brain MRI pricing
About the Author
John Caruso, FSA, MAAA
Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.
Connect on LinkedIn →Ready to take control of your healthcare costs?
Use the free cost estimator → · Get your bill screened for free → · See the family plan →