With Original Medicare, you’ll typically pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for an MRI after meeting your annual Part B deductible of $257 (in 2025). In practical terms, your out-of-pocket cost for a single MRI can range from roughly $40 to over $70, depending largely on where you get the scan done. That range can shrink to zero if you carry supplemental coverage.
What Medicare Covers and What You Owe
Medicare Part B covers diagnostic MRIs when your doctor orders them as medically necessary. Once you’ve met the $257 annual Part B deductible, Medicare picks up 80% of the approved amount and you’re responsible for the remaining 20%. This 20% coinsurance is the core of your out-of-pocket cost.
If your MRI happens during a qualified inpatient hospital stay, the billing works differently. Part A covers the scan as part of your overall hospital admission, so it falls under your inpatient deductible and copayment structure rather than the 20% coinsurance. Most MRIs, though, are performed on an outpatient basis and billed through Part B.
Contrast agents, the injectable dye sometimes used to make certain tissues show up more clearly, are covered as part of the MRI study when the scan itself is deemed medically necessary. They aren’t billed separately in a way that adds a surprise charge.
Where You Get the MRI Changes the Price
The single biggest factor in your out-of-pocket cost is the type of facility. Medicare pays hospitals significantly more than it pays freestanding imaging centers for the same scan, and your 20% share scales accordingly.
National average facility fees from Medicare’s 2026 payment data illustrate the gap clearly. For a brain MRI with contrast, the hospital outpatient facility fee averages $356, while an ambulatory (freestanding) center averages $192. Your 20% coinsurance on those amounts works out to roughly $71 at a hospital versus $38 at an independent imaging center. That’s nearly double the cost for the same scan, and this difference holds across most MRI types.
These are national averages. Prices in your area may be somewhat higher or lower, but the pattern is consistent: hospitals charge more because Medicare reimburses them at higher rates. If cost matters to you, asking your doctor whether a freestanding imaging center is an option can save you real money.
How Medigap Plans Reduce Your Cost
If you carry a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy, your 20% coinsurance may be partially or fully covered. Most Medigap plans, including the popular Plans C, F, G, and N, cover 100% of your Part B coinsurance. That means after your plan kicks in, your out-of-pocket cost for the MRI itself drops to zero.
Two plans offer partial coverage: Plan K covers 50% of the coinsurance and Plan L covers 75%. With Plan K, for example, you’d pay half of that 20%, bringing a $71 hospital MRI copay down to about $36. Plan N covers 100% of Part B coinsurance for most services, though it requires small copayments for certain office and emergency room visits.
Keep in mind that Medigap plans don’t eliminate the Part B deductible unless you have Plan C or Plan F (Plan F is only available if you became eligible for Medicare before 2020). If you haven’t yet met your $257 deductible for the year, that amount applies before coinsurance kicks in.
MRI Costs Under Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) set their own cost-sharing rules, so your MRI cost depends entirely on your specific plan. Some plans charge a flat copay for imaging, often in the range of $50 to $300 per scan. Others use coinsurance percentages similar to Original Medicare. Your plan’s summary of benefits will list the exact amount.
The bigger difference with Medicare Advantage is prior authorization. Nearly all Advantage plans require you to get approval before scheduling an MRI. Original Medicare does not. An investigation by the Office of Inspector General found that advanced imaging, including MRIs, was among the most commonly denied services by Advantage plans, even when the scans met standard Medicare coverage rules. Starting in 2026, plans are required to make prior authorization decisions within 7 calendar days (down from 14) and give you a specific reason if they deny the request.
If your Advantage plan denies an MRI and you believe it’s medically necessary, you have the right to appeal. Many initial denials are overturned on appeal, so it’s worth pursuing if your doctor supports the need for the scan.
Keeping Your Costs as Low as Possible
Your total bill for an MRI with Medicare depends on a handful of variables that you can often influence. Choosing a freestanding imaging center over a hospital outpatient department can cut your coinsurance nearly in half. Having a Medigap plan that covers Part B coinsurance can eliminate it altogether. And making sure your Part B deductible is already met for the year means the 20% coinsurance is the only cost you’ll face.
You can look up estimated costs for specific MRI procedures in your area using Medicare’s Procedure Price Lookup tool at medicare.gov. It shows both the hospital and ambulatory center prices along with your estimated copayment, giving you a concrete number before you schedule the appointment.