CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Grady Memorial Hospital

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$315

about 1.3× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $176–$813

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$174

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $141 under the fair price · 0.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $315 This hospital $174 Cash price $4,804 Hospital's list price $4,804

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other GA hospitals

On the higher side — 6 of 8 other GA hospitals charge less.

Cheapest $70 Priciest $176

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

⚠ The cash price looks unusually high next to the insurance price — it may be the full list price, not a real cash discount. Call to confirm the self-pay rate.

A fair price for a MRI, lower back (no contrast) is about $315 (about 1.3× the $244 Medicare rate). Grady Memorial Hospital charges insurers about $174, or about $4,804 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Atlanta, GA.

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	$68 - $3,459	28%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$68 - $3,843	28%
Aetnamajor	$68 - $2,163	28%
Cignamajor	$68 - $2,842	28%
Humanamajor	$68 - $240	28%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$68 - $3,641	28%
Ambetter (Centene)	$68 - $711	28%
Amerigroup	$66 - $781	27%
CareSource	$66 - $717	27%
Clover Health	$71 - $253	29%
Oscar Health	$96 - $3,123	39%
WellCare	$68 - $240	28%
+ 1 smaller / regional plan	$71 - $253

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

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 4,804), 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 Grady Memorial 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 Grady Memorial Hospital

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

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