Number of MRIs performed per 1,000 persons, 2021, and estimated cost per outpatient MRI by insurance type, U.S. dollars, 2022
Note: "MRI" is magnetic resonance imaging. OECD utilization data includes all MRIs across inpatient and outpatient settings; data was not available for all countries. Cost estimates represent the average cost of an MRI without contrast of a leg joint performed in the outpatient or office-based setting. The U.S. public cost estimate is for traditional Medicare and only includes MRIs in office-based settings (i.e., excludes hospital outpatient departments, which often have higher costs). Data used to determine Medicare prices in the U.S. exclude physician fees, which likely understate the difference in prices between the U.S. and peer nations.
