How Much Healthcare Costs Without Insurance in New York
MRIs from $500. X-rays from $60. Blood tests from $8. Urgent care from $120. Real published prices from real New York practices, not estimates.
- Why nobody will tell you the price (and why we can)
- MRI cost without insurance in NYC and Long Island: from $500
- X-ray cost without insurance: from $60
- Blood test cost without insurance: from $8
- Urgent care cost without insurance: $120–$250 a visit
- Seeing a doctor without insurance: $125 a visit, or a membership
- Dentist without insurance: $99 for a cleaning, or $275 a year
- Prescriptions without insurance
- How to actually pay cash for care in New York
- Frequently asked questions
Why nobody will tell you the price (and why we can)
Ask a hospital what an MRI costs and you'll hear "it depends on your insurance." Ask an independent imaging center or lab and you'll get a number, because they publish self-pay prices. Every figure below is a price a New York practice has published for people paying directly, collected on upsurance.co. No estimates, no averages, no "typical range."
MRI cost without insurance in NYC and Long Island: from $500
An MRI ordered through insurance at a hospital is commonly billed $1,500–$3,500 before the plan pays anything. The self-pay prices at independent radiology groups:
| Provider | Study | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Zwanger-Pesiri | MRI | $500 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Lumbar spine (lower back) | $600 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Brain — without contrast | $600 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Knee / hip / ankle | $600 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Shoulder / wrist / elbow | $600 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Thoracic spine | $600 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Cervical spine — with and without contrast | $600 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Abdomen | $775 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Chest / pelvis / soft-tissue neck / extremity non-joint | $800 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Breast MRI — bilateral (Park Ave) | $930 |
Contrast, if needed, may add to the price. Bring the order from your doctor — any doctor, including a direct primary care physician.
X-ray cost without insurance: from $60
| Provider | Study | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Abdomen / KUB — 1 view | $60 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Chest — 2 views | $70 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Shoulder — complete | $75 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Foot — 3+ views | $75 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Hand / Ankle / Pelvis | $80 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Thoracic spine — 2 views | $85 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Lumbar spine / Wrist / Knee | $90 |
| The Med Station | Chest — 1 view | $90 |
| Zwanger-Pesiri | X-ray | $100 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Hip — 2–3 views | $100 |
| Lenox Hill Radiology | Cervical spine — 4–5 views | $110 |
| The Med Station | Spine, hand, wrist, ankle, sinus, finger, toe | $120 |
| Northwell Health Imaging | X-ray | $145 |
Blood test cost without insurance: from $8
Bloodwork is where self-pay pricing beats insurance most dramatically. Sunrise Medical Laboratories on Long Island posts a flat $8 self-pay draw price and bills you after the results; the national labs let you order common panels yourself online.
| Lab | Where | Notes | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Medical Laboratories | Long Island, all locations | Flat self-pay pricing, same at every location; invoiced after results; one-time self-pay attestation form | $8 |
| LabCorp | Walk-in | Lab-drawn | $25 |
| Quest Diagnostics | Walk-in | Lab-drawn | $28 |
| Quest Health | Order online | Annual wellness basics, order yourself | $29 |
| LabCorp OnDemand | Order online | Order yourself, no doctor's order needed | $39 |
Urgent care cost without insurance: $120–$250 a visit
| Provider | Locations | Notes | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwell GoHealth Urgent Care | NYC & Long Island | Basic visits $120–$160, expanded $225–$250, virtual $75 | $120 |
| Excel Urgent Care | Massapequa Park, East Northport, Nesconset | Per visit | $155 |
| NY Doctors Urgent Care | Midtown | Per visit | $155 |
| Nao Medical | 12 locations NYC & LI | $100 follow-ups | $175 |
| CityMD | NYC & Long Island | Covers most visits including basic on-site labs and X-rays | $250 |
Seeing a doctor without insurance: $125 a visit, or a membership
A self-pay primary care visit on Long Island runs about $125–$160. If you'll go more than a couple of times a year, a direct primary care membership (from $59 a month for unlimited visits) is usually cheaper. The full list is in our direct primary care guide.
Dentist without insurance: $99 for a cleaning, or $275 a year
Several Long Island practices see new self-pay patients for an exam, X-rays, and cleaning for $99 (Lindenhurst Family Dental, Raio Dental Smile, Shore Smiles, Smile Solutions), and Babylon Dental Care offers a $1 new-patient exam. Annual dental memberships start at $275. Every plan and price is in our dental membership guide.
Prescriptions without insurance
Two free tools cover most cases: GoodRx (coupons at over 70,000 pharmacies, up to 83% off, no membership) and RxSaver (compares prices at nearby pharmacies and sometimes beats GoodRx on a specific drug). Both work whether or not you have insurance.
How to actually pay cash for care in New York
- Say "self-pay" when you book. The price is often only offered if you ask; some places have a form to sign.
- Get the order from any doctor. Imaging and many labs need a doctor's order; a DPC doctor or a $125 self-pay visit works.
- Ask about payment timing. Sunrise, for instance, invoices after results.
- Keep the receipt. Cash payments can count toward a deductible if you have insurance; ask your plan.
- Check the price again before you go. Practices change prices; the date at the top of this page is the version you're reading.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an MRI cost without insurance in New York?
On upsurance.co today, self-pay MRIs run from $500 at Zwanger-Pesiri to $930 for a bilateral breast MRI at Lenox Hill Radiology. Most single-region MRIs at Lenox Hill are $600.
How much is an X-ray without insurance?
From $60 for a single-view abdominal X-ray at Lenox Hill Radiology; a two-view chest X-ray is $70; most extremity and spine X-rays are $75–$120.
How much does a blood test cost without insurance?
As little as $8 for a self-pay draw at Sunrise Medical Laboratories on Long Island; walk-in draws at LabCorp and Quest start around $25–$28, and online-ordered wellness panels start at $29.
How much is urgent care without insurance?
$120–$250 per visit in NYC and on Long Island. Northwell GoHealth starts at $120, Excel and NY Doctors Urgent Care are $155, Nao Medical $175, and CityMD $250 including basic on-site labs and X-rays.
Can I see a doctor without insurance in New York?
Yes. Self-pay primary care visits run $125–$160 on Long Island, and direct primary care memberships start at $59 a month for unlimited visits.
Does paying cash count toward my deductible?
Often, if you submit the receipt to your plan, but rules vary by insurer. Ask before you assume.
Related guides
Upsurance (upsurance.co) is a Long Island, New York company that lists prices published by independent practices across Long Island and New York City. Upsurance is not an insurance company, health plan, or provider, and nothing here replaces major medical coverage. Confirm current prices with the practice before your visit.