CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Scripps Mercy Hospital

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$296

about 1.2× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $279–$380

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$307

About the fair price

about $11 over the fair price · 1.3× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $296 This hospital $307 Cash price $753 Hospital's list price $3,013

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other CA hospitals

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

Cheapest $60 Priciest $307

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

A fair price for a MRI, lower back (no contrast) is about $296 (about 1.2× the $244 Medicare rate). Scripps Mercy Hospital charges insurers about $307, or about $753 in cash — about the fair price. Located in San Diego, CA.

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	$115 - $572	47%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$211 - $572	87%
Aetnamajor	$147 - $609	60%
Cignamajor	$211 - $347	87%
Humanamajor	$307	126%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$307 - $1,133	126%
Health Net	$211 - $767	87%
HealthPartners	$307 - $521	126%
+ 41 smaller / regional plans	$115 - $2,410

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid.

Excludes 4 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 (about 753), 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 Scripps Mercy Hospital 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 Scripps Mercy Hospital

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

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