CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Stone County Medical Center

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$378

about 1.5× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $199–$679

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$162

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $216 under the fair price · 0.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $378 This hospital $162 Cash price $473 Hospital's list price $630

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other AR hospitals

One of the lower prices — 7 of 8 other AR hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $118 Priciest $221

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

A fair price for a MRI, lower back (no contrast) is about $378 (about 1.5× the $244 Medicare rate). Stone County Medical Center charges insurers about $162, or about $473 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Mountain View, AR.

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna HumanaKaiser 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	$170	70%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$68 - $224	28%
Aetnamajor	$170 - $554	70%
Cignamajor	$176	72%
Ambetter (Centene)	$230	94%
CareSource	$100	41%
WellCare	$179	73%
+ 7 smaller / regional plans	$170 - $353

Government programs also on file: Medicare.

Excludes 1 rental-network / third-party entry (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 (about 473), 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 Stone County Medical Center 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 Stone County Medical Center

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

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