CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Springs County

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$405

about 1.1× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $356–$526

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$441

About the fair price

about $36 over the fair price · 1.2× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $405 This hospital $441 Cash price $584 Hospital's list price $2,335

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other AR hospitals

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

Cheapest $202 Priciest $441

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $405 (about 1.1× the $356 Medicare rate). Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Springs County charges insurers about $441, or about $584 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Malvern, AR.

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Humana AetnaCignaKaiser 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	$345 - $471	97%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$340 - $412	95%
Humanamajor	$337	95%
Ambetter (Centene)	$540	152%
CareSource	$1,074	301%
WellCare	$355	100%
+ 9 smaller / regional plans	$334 - $1,074

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 (about 584), 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: 70553.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Springs County is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70553.
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 Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Springs County

Compare: MRI, brain (with and without contrast) at other AR hospitals

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