Articles · October 16, 2026 · 4 min read

How much does an MRI cost in El Paso without insurance?

Paying for an MRI yourself in El Paso? Desert Imaging quotes a self-pay price for the exact exam on your order. What to ask, how to pay, and where to go.

Desert Imaging in El Paso quotes a self-pay price for the exact MRI on your doctor's order when you book. Ask for the price of that exam: the body part, and whether it is ordered with or without contrast. If you are paying without insurance, or your plan does not cover the exam, private-pay rates are available for every exam we do, and payment is due at the time of service. Here is what to have ready when you ask what an MRI costs, how you can pay, and where the exam is done.

What to have ready when you ask

Your doctor's order names the exam, and that is the exam the price is for. Have it in front of you when you call.

The body part. The order says which part of the body to scan: a knee, the lumbar spine, the brain, the abdomen. If it lists more than one, read each one.
Contrast or not. The order says whether the MRI is with or without contrast. Contrast for MRI is a gadolinium dye given through a vein in your arm.
MRA or MRV. If the order says MRA or MRV, it is an MRI of your arteries or veins. Read it out the way it is written.

If your doctor's office has already sent us the order, your name and date of birth are enough for us to find it.

How you can pay

Payment for self-pay exams is due at the time of service, so bring it to your appointment. Desert Imaging accepts check, cash, money order, all major credit cards and CareCredit.

If you would rather pay over time, you can apply for CareCredit, and patient balances over $200 can go on a zero-interest payment plan. Ask about the plan when you book.

If you do have insurance

Most exams are billed to insurance. We accept most major health plans; check the accepted insurance page and call to confirm your plan before you book. Some plans ask for prior authorization for MRI, and your doctor's office usually starts that when it sends the order. If you owe a deductible, it is also due at the time of service. If your plan does not cover the MRI, ask for the self-pay price the same way.

Questions about a bill

Billing for Desert Imaging is handled by In Tandem Solutions Group. Call them at (915) 400-0429 with questions about a statement.

Where the MRI is done

Desert Imaging does MRI at two centers in El Paso:

West, 122 W. Castellano Dr.: a 3-Tesla wide-bore MRI with a 75 cm opening, plus a 1.5-Tesla magnet. See MRI at West.
East, 1727 Lee Trevino Dr.: a 1.5-Tesla magnet. See MRI at East.

Both are open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. One of our board-certified radiologists reads your exam here in El Paso. The MRI page lists every MRI exam we do. Comparing centers? How to choose an imaging center in El Paso lists what to check.

Do I need a doctor's order?

Yes, for an MRI. Your doctor's office can fax the order to us or send it through the physician portal, or you can bring it with you. The order tells us which exam to do and names the doctor who gets the report. Do I need a referral for an MRI, CT scan or mammogram? covers who can order an exam and which screening exams you can request yourself.

Questions

Does Desert Imaging post MRI prices online?

Not on this website. Private-pay rates are available for every exam, and you get the price for the exact MRI on your order when you call to book.

Can I pay over time?

Yes. Desert Imaging accepts CareCredit, and patient balances over $200 can go on a zero-interest payment plan. Ask about both when you book.

Is the radiologist's report included?

Ask what the price covers when you book. What we can tell you here: one of our board-certified radiologists reads the exam in El Paso, and the report goes to the doctor who ordered it and to your patient portal.

Do you have an open MRI?

Not an open MRI in the older sense, with the magnet above and below you. West has a 3-Tesla wide-bore MRI with a 75 cm opening, and many exams on it take about half the time. What a wide-bore MRI changes explains the difference.

What if my plan does not cover the MRI?

Ask for the self-pay price, the same as a patient without insurance.

Book your MRI

Call (915) 577-0100, or request an appointment online and say in the notes that you are paying without insurance. To get ready for the day itself, read how to prepare for an MRI in El Paso.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Follow the instructions your doctor and our staff give you for your exam.

Ready to book your MRI and MRA?

Request an appointment online or call (915) 577-0100. Bring your doctor's order and we take it from there.

Request an appointment Call (915) 577-0100

# How much does an MRI cost in El Paso without insurance?

*Paying for an MRI yourself in El Paso? Desert Imaging quotes a self-pay price for the exact exam on your order. What to ask, how to pay, and where to go.*

October 16, 2026 · Desert Imaging

Desert Imaging in El Paso quotes a self-pay price for the exact MRI on your doctor's order when you book. Ask for the price of that exam: the body part, and whether it is ordered with or without contrast. If you are paying without insurance, or your plan does not cover the exam, private-pay rates are available for every exam we do, and payment is due at the time of service. Here is what to have ready when you ask what an MRI costs, how you can pay, and where the exam is done.

## What to have ready when you ask

Your doctor's order names the exam, and that is the exam the price is for. Have it in front of you when you call.

- **The body part.** The order says which part of the body to scan: a knee, the lumbar spine, the brain, the abdomen. If it lists more than one, read each one.
- **Contrast or not.** The order says whether the MRI is with or without contrast. Contrast for MRI is a gadolinium dye given through a vein in your arm.
- **MRA or MRV.** If the order says MRA or MRV, it is an MRI of your arteries or veins. Read it out the way it is written.

If your doctor's office has already sent us the order, your name and date of birth are enough for us to find it.

## How you can pay

Payment for self-pay exams is due at the time of service, so bring it to your appointment. Desert Imaging accepts check, cash, money order, all major credit cards and CareCredit.

If you would rather pay over time, you can [apply for CareCredit](https://www.carecredit.com/howcarecreditworks/prospective/), and patient balances over $200 can go on a zero-interest payment plan. Ask about the plan when you book.

## If you do have insurance

Most exams are billed to insurance. We accept most major health plans; check the [accepted insurance](/patients/insurance) page and call to confirm your plan before you book. Some plans ask for prior authorization for MRI, and your doctor's office usually starts that when it sends the order. If you owe a deductible, it is also due at the time of service. If your plan does not cover the MRI, ask for the self-pay price the same way.

## Questions about a bill

Billing for Desert Imaging is handled by In Tandem Solutions Group. Call them at (915) 400-0429 with questions about a statement.

## Where the MRI is done

Desert Imaging does MRI at two centers in El Paso:

- **West, 122 W. Castellano Dr.:** a 3-Tesla wide-bore MRI with a 75 cm opening, plus a 1.5-Tesla magnet. See [MRI at West](/locations/west/mri).
- **East, 1727 Lee Trevino Dr.:** a 1.5-Tesla magnet. See [MRI at East](/locations/lee-trevino/mri).

Both are open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. One of our board-certified radiologists reads your exam here in El Paso. The [MRI page](/services/mri) lists every MRI exam we do. Comparing centers? [How to choose an imaging center in El Paso](/blog/how-to-choose-an-imaging-center-in-el-paso) lists what to check.

## Do I need a doctor's order?

Yes, for an MRI. Your doctor's office can fax the order to us or send it through the physician portal, or you can bring it with you. The order tells us which exam to do and names the doctor who gets the report. [Do I need a referral for an MRI, CT scan or mammogram?](/blog/do-i-need-a-referral-for-an-mri-ct-or-mammogram) covers who can order an exam and which screening exams you can request yourself.

## Questions

**Does Desert Imaging post MRI prices online?**

Not on this website. Private-pay rates are available for every exam, and you get the price for the exact MRI on your order when you call to book.

**Can I pay over time?**

Yes. Desert Imaging accepts CareCredit, and patient balances over $200 can go on a zero-interest payment plan. Ask about both when you book.

**Is the radiologist's report included?**

Ask what the price covers when you book. What we can tell you here: one of our board-certified radiologists reads the exam in El Paso, and the report goes to the doctor who ordered it and to your patient portal.

**Do you have an open MRI?**

Not an open MRI in the older sense, with the magnet above and below you. West has a 3-Tesla wide-bore MRI with a 75 cm opening, and many exams on it take about half the time. [What a wide-bore MRI changes](/blog/claustrophobic-what-a-wide-bore-mri-changes) explains the difference.

**What if my plan does not cover the MRI?**

Ask for the self-pay price, the same as a patient without insurance.

## Book your MRI

Call (915) 577-0100, or [request an appointment online](https://eforms.abbadox.com/240384671438865) and say in the notes that you are paying without insurance. To get ready for the day itself, read [how to prepare for an MRI in El Paso](/blog/how-to-prepare-for-an-mri-in-el-paso).