CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Sterling Regional Medcenter

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$414

about 1.2× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $312–$846

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$388

About the fair price

about $26 under the fair price · 1.1× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $414 This hospital $388 Cash price $957 Hospital's list price $2,816

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other CO hospitals

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

Cheapest $107 Priciest $388

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $414 (about 1.2× the $356 Medicare rate). Sterling Regional Medcenter charges insurers about $388, or about $957 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Sterling, CO.

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✓ Humana CignaKaiser 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	$359 - $2,670	101%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$873 - $2,140	245%
Aetnamajor	$786 - $2,619	221%
Humanamajor	$380	107%
Banner Health	$873	245%
Cigna HealthSpring	$873	245%
Devoted Health	$395	111%
Health Net	$2,534	711%
Medica	$873 - $2,346	245%
+ 8 smaller / regional plans	$359 - $2,675

Government programs also on file: Medicare.

Excludes 2 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 957), 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 Sterling Regional Medcenter 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 Sterling Regional Medcenter

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

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