Does Medicare Cover MRI Scans?

Is an MRI covered by Medicare?

Yes. Medicare treats an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) as a diagnostic non-laboratory test. It is covered when a doctor or other qualified provider orders it to find or treat a medical condition, meaning the scan is medically necessary. MRIs are in the same coverage category as several other imaging tests Medicare covers, including CT scans, X-rays, EKGs/ECGs, and PET scans.

An MRI is generally considered medically necessary when your provider needs the images to diagnose a problem, confirm a suspected condition, or guide your treatment. Routine or screening MRIs that a provider has not ordered for a specific medical reason are typically not covered. Coverage applies regardless of which body part is scanned (for example, a brain MRI, knee MRI, or spine MRI) as long as it is ordered as medically necessary, and an MRI with contrast dye is covered on the same medically-necessary basis.

Part A or Part B — which part of Medicare pays?

The part of Medicare that pays depends on where and how the MRI is performed:

• Outpatient MRI (doctor's office, independent imaging center, or hospital outpatient department): covered under Part B as a diagnostic test.
• Inpatient MRI (performed while you are formally admitted to a hospital as an inpatient): covered under Part A as part of your inpatient care, not billed separately under Part B.
• An inpatient MRI falls under your Part A inpatient cost-sharing — the Part A deductible of $1,736 per benefit period in 2026, plus any applicable inpatient coinsurance — rather than the Part B 20% coinsurance.

How much does an MRI cost with Medicare?

For an outpatient MRI covered under Part B, you first pay the annual Part B deductible, which is $283 in 2026. After the deductible is met, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and Medicare pays the other 80%. (The standard Part B premium in 2026 is $202.90 per month, separate from these per-service costs.)

Where you have the MRI done can change your bill. If the scan is performed in a hospital outpatient department, you may also owe the hospital a separate copayment. That copayment can be more than 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, but in most cases it can't be more than the Part A inpatient hospital deductible ($1,736 in 2026) for that single service.

To get the most coverage and avoid extra charges, make sure both the provider who orders the MRI and the facility that performs it accept Medicare assignment — that is, they agree to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment. You can estimate your out-of-pocket cost before the scan using Medicare.gov's Procedure Price Lookup tool, which shows national average Medicare costs and patient copayments for specific outpatient MRI procedure codes at hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers.

• Doctor's office or independent imaging center: 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible.
• Hospital outpatient department: 20% coinsurance plus a possible hospital copayment, capped in most cases at the Part A deductible per service.
• Inpatient hospital stay: paid under Part A — the $1,736 deductible per benefit period and any applicable coinsurance.

Does Medicare require prior authorization for an MRI?

Under Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), an MRI generally does not require prior authorization. As a rule, Medicare does not pre-authorize most items and services paid under Part A or Part B — your provider simply orders the scan when it is medically necessary.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are different. By law, a Medicare Advantage plan must cover everything Original Medicare covers, including medically necessary MRIs. However, these plans may require prior authorization before the scan, may use provider networks, and may set their own copay or cost-sharing amounts. Because the rules and costs vary by plan, check your plan's Evidence of Coverage or call your plan before scheduling an MRI to confirm whether prior authorization is needed and what you'll pay.

Medigap coverage and what to do if an MRI is denied

If you have a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy alongside Original Medicare, it can help pay the 20% Part B coinsurance for a covered MRI. Coverage of the Part B deductible depends on the plan: only Medigap Plans C and F cover the Part B deductible, and those plans are available only to people who were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020. If you don't have one of those plans, you still pay the Part B deductible yourself.

If Medicare denies payment for your MRI, you have the right to appeal. A denial may happen if the scan wasn't documented as medically necessary or if a billing requirement wasn't met. Read the Medicare Summary Notice (Original Medicare) or the plan denial letter (Medicare Advantage), which explains the reason and your appeal deadline, and follow the appeal instructions it provides.