CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: St Alexius Medical Center

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$485

about 1.4× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $413–$746

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$490

About the fair price

about $5 over the fair price · 1.4× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $485 This hospital $490

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other IL hospitals

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

Cheapest $191 Priciest $490

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $485 (about 1.4× the $356 Medicare rate). St Alexius Medical Center charges insurers about $490 — about the fair price. Located in Hoffman Estates, IL.

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	$354 - $376	99%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$372 - $3,210	104%
Aetnamajor	$372 - $3,210	104%
Cignamajor	$3,029 - $3,147	850%
Humanamajor	$372 - $1,158	104%
Ambetter (Centene)	$603	169%
Bright Health	$465	130%
Meridian	$3,210	901%
Molina	$383	107%
+ 6 smaller / regional plans	$354 - $3,210

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid.

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, 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 St Alexius 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 St Alexius Medical Center

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

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