CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Cherokee Regional Medical Center

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$969

about 2.7× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $313–$2,441

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $969 Cash price $4,428 Hospital's list price $4,920

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.

5 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	$2,608 - $4,214	732%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$2,608 - $4,920	732%
Aetnamajor	$2,608 - $4,214	732%
Cignamajor	$4,214	1182%
Humanamajor	$2,608 - $4,214	732%
HealthPartners	$2,608 - $4,214	732%
Meridian	$4,214	1182%
Molina	$2,706 - $4,920	759%
Sanford Health Plan	$4,214	1182%
+ 14 smaller / regional plans	$2,706 - $4,920

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 4,428), 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 Cherokee Regional Medical Center 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 Cherokee Regional Medical Center

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

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