MRI Cost in Virginia (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay
What does a mri cost in Virginia?
An mri in Virginia is priced differently for each type of coverage. With commercial insurance it typically runs $229–$1,174, 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 $100–$1,977. 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 Virginia, from hospital price files
- CHIPPENHAM HOSPITAL · Chesterfield, VA $109
- JOHNSTON-WILLIS HOSPITAL · Richmond, VA $109
- PARHAM DOCTORS HOSPITAL · Richmond, VA $113
Free: the typical range and the facilities above. Add your email and we send the full ranked list of all 78 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 Virginia
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.
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Cheapest MRI Providers in Virginia
Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.
| # | Facility | City | Price | vs Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, VA | $808 | -$000 |
| 2 | CHIPPENHAM HOSPITAL | Chesterfield, VA | $109 | -$128 |
| 3 | JOHNSTON-WILLIS HOSPITAL | Richmond, VA | $109 | -$128 |
| 4 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, VA | $811 | -$000 |
| 5 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, VA | $812 | -$000 |
| 6 | PARHAM DOCTORS HOSPITAL | Richmond, VA | $113 | -$124 |
| 7 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, VA | $814 | -$000 |
| 8 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, VA | $815 | -$000 |
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Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.
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Sends a PDF with all 78 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
- TRICITIES HOSPITAL is the lowest-cost option at $102 - $135 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 $237, 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) | 47 | $660 to $2,387 | $1,435 |
| Without insurance (cash price) | 83 | $100 to $1,977 | $237 |
| Anthem HealthKeepers | 46 | $272 to $1,230 | $738 |
| Aetna | 34 | $548 to $3,064 | $1,765 |
| Cigna | 29 | $703 to $5,504 | $1,919 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 17 | $395 to $2,287 | $1,808 |
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 Virginia?
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 Virginia?
Across 47 Virginia hospitals, the negotiated rates commercial insurers pay for MRI average $660 to $2,387 per hospital, with a median near $1,435. 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 Virginia?
Cash (self-pay) prices for MRI at 83 Virginia hospitals range from $100 to $1,977, with a median of $237. 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 Anthem HealthKeepers in Virginia?
Anthem HealthKeepers negotiated rates for MRI at 46 Virginia hospitals range from $272 to $1,230, with a median near $738. 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 Aetna in Virginia?
Aetna negotiated rates for MRI at 34 Virginia hospitals range from $548 to $3,064, with a median near $1,765. 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 Cigna in Virginia?
Cigna negotiated rates for MRI at 29 Virginia hospitals range from $703 to $5,504, with a median near $1,919. 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 UnitedHealthcare in Virginia?
UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates for MRI at 17 Virginia hospitals range from $395 to $2,287, with a median near $1,808. 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 where you go changes what you pay for mri
The same mri 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 $51–$11,340
- Professional fee $291–$1,568
Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers
- Facility fee $51–$2,154
- Professional fee $291–$1,568
Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers
- technical_component $150–$725
- professional_interpretation $94–$428
Estimated from CMS fee schedules + commercial rate multipliers
Inova Health System dominates Northern Virginia with pricing that reflects DC-metro labor costs - among the highest in the Mid-Atlantic. Sentara Healthcare and Carilion Clinic cover the Tidewater and Southwest Virginia markets respectively. Northern Virginia facilities typically price 20–30% above the state average due to proximity to the DC labor market. 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 (3) report prices above $2,598, including University of Virginia Medical Center at $3,376, 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 $237 versus $226 inpatient, 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 | ~$359 |
| Deductible met - 20% coinsurance | ~$72 |
| Out-of-network provider | $790+ |
Frequently asked questions: MRI costs in Virginia
How much does an MRI cost in Virginia?
The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $175, with most facilities between $62 and $234 (based on 69 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). Full market pricing - including cash rates, gross charges, and outlier facilities - ranges more widely, from $100 to $19,815 across all 78 Virginia 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 Virginia?
Based on declared prices, the lowest-cost facility in our Virginia data is Centra Specialty Hospital at about $51. By metro, Alexandria has the lowest median ($94). 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 Virginia hospitals?
Prices vary up to 198.2× because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In Virginia, the median cash (self-pay) price is $237 versus a median negotiated rate of $1,435 - 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 Virginia?
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 an EOB line by line
Other procedures in Virginia
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).
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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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