CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: St Vincents Blount

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$553

about 2.3× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $296–$1,200

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$366

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $187 under the fair price · 1.5× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $553 This hospital $366 Hospital's list price $1,904

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other AL hospitals

Highest price of the 9 AL hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $105 Priciest $366

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 AL hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a MRI, lower back (no contrast) is about $553 (about 2.3× the $244 Medicare rate). St Vincents Blount charges insurers about $366 — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Oneonta, AL.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

5 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana Kaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$460 - $600	189%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$571	234%
Aetnamajor	$457 - $945	187%
Cignamajor	$335 - $611	137%
Humanamajor	$366 - $577	150%
Ambetter (Centene)	$571 - $785	234%
+ 5 smaller / regional plans	$771 - $1,523

Excludes 3 rental-network / third-party entries (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price, before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 72148.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm St Vincents Blount is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 72148.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at St Vincents Blount

Compare: MRI, lower back (no contrast) at other AL hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.