CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Kona Community Hospital

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$468

about 1.3× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $394–$497

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$481

About the fair price

about $13 over the fair price · 1.4× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $468 This hospital $481 Cash price $1,797 Hospital's list price $2,765

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other HI hospitals

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

Cheapest $240 Priciest $481

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 HI 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, brain (with and without contrast) is about $468 (about 1.3× the $356 Medicare rate). Kona Community Hospital charges insurers about $481, or about $1,797 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Kealakekua, HI.

What each insurance company pays

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

3 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Humana✓ Kaiser Permanente Blue Cross Blue ShieldAetnaCigna

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	$412 - $880	116%
Humanamajor	$412 - $481	116%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$412 - $1,991	116%
Devoted Health	$453	127%
+ 12 smaller / regional plans	$412 - $3,065

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 1,797), 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 Kona Community Hospital 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 Kona Community Hospital

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

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