CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Adventist Health Clearlake

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price low confidence

A fair price for this

$1,675

about 6.9× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $362–$3,217

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $1,675 Cash price $1,665 Hospital's list price $4,625

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

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	$992 - $4,134	407%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$902 - $4,813	370%
Aetnamajor	$3,208 - $3,704	1316%
Cignamajor	$3,864 - $4,461	1585%
Humanamajor	$3,649 - $4,213	1497%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$902 - $4,461	370%
Health Net	$3,520 - $4,065	1444%
+ 6 smaller / regional plans	$390 - $8,179

Government programs also on file: Medicaid, Military & VA.

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 1,665), 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 Adventist Health Clearlake 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 Adventist Health Clearlake

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

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