CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Valleywise Health Medical Center

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$309

about 0.9× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $281–$440

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$308

About the fair price

about $1 under the fair price · 0.9× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $309 This hospital $308 Cash price $428 Hospital's list price $3,090

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other AZ hospitals

A typical price — 5 charge more and 3 charge less, among the 9 AZ hospitals compared.

Cheapest $115 Priciest $368

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $309 (about 0.9× the $356 Medicare rate). Valleywise Health Medical Center charges insurers about $308, or about $428 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Phoenix, AZ.

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	$254 - $1,290	71%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$135 - $992	38%
Aetnamajor	$309 - $3,575	87%
Cignamajor	$112 - $4,400	31%
Humanamajor	$292 - $372	82%
Banner Health	$206 - $372	58%
Devoted Health	$206 - $372	58%
Health Net	$204 - $712	57%
Molina	$204 - $410	57%
Oscar Health	$134 - $780	38%
+ 12 smaller / regional plans	$206 - $4,125

Government programs also on file: Military & VA.

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 428), 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 Valleywise Health Medical Center 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 Valleywise Health Medical Center

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

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