MRI costs vary drastically from facility to facility, according to an analysis from Amino, a startup using big data to match patients with providers. American consumers are paying more out of pocket for healthcare than ever before, so choosing where to receive care is a more impactful decision than it’s been in the past.

Hospitals were consistently more expensive than outpatient imaging centers, especially in Alaska and Michigan, where MRIs could cost up to $2,500 more if received at a hospital rather than an imaging center.

These fluctuations in price are important considerations for both consumers and care providers. In the past decade, health price transparency has emerged as a priority for state legislatures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and a number of states have enacted regulations requiring additional disclosure of the costs of health services.

Additionally, a recent study found that imaging utilization drastically varied from county to county, with poorly-insured regions using more imaging services—the opposite of what the authors expected. The authors theorized it could stem from poor coordination of care leading to duplicative or unnecessary imaging, which could raise insurance prices across the board in that area.

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