CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (no contrast)

Facility: Banner Payson Medical Center

Billing Code: 70551 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$846

about 3.5× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $512–$1,024

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$729

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $117 under the fair price · 3.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $846 This hospital $729 Cash price $867 Hospital's list price $1,700

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other AZ hospitals

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

Cheapest $75 Priciest $729

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 (no contrast) is about $846 (about 3.5× the $244 Medicare rate). Banner Payson Medical Center charges insurers about $729, or about $867 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Payson, AZ.

What each insurance company pays

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

6 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	$697 - $1,139	286%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$697 - $972	286%
Aetnamajor	$487 - $1,125	200%
Cignamajor	$697 - $1,353	286%
Humanamajor	$739	303%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$697	286%
Banner Health	$167 - $697	69%
Devoted Health	$767	315%
Health Net	$167 - $1,032	69%
Oscar Health	$1,150	472%
UPMC Health Plan	$697	286%
+ 13 smaller / regional plans	$167 - $1,530

Government programs also on file: Military & VA.

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 867), 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: 70551.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Banner Payson Medical Center is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70551.
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 Banner Payson Medical Center

Compare: MRI, brain (no contrast) at other AZ hospitals

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