MRI, lower back (no contrast)
Facility: Pratt Regional Medical Center
Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 72148
- Insurance Median: $270
- Cash Discount Price: $1,149
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 1.11x Medicare
Average discount available for prompt cash payment at this facility.
Median negotiated contract rate across all mapped commercial carriers.
Standard federal government reimbursement rate for this code.
Visual Cost Comparison vs. Medicare
Understanding this gauge: We use the federal Medicare rate of $243.77 as the cost baseline. Rates below the baseline represent excellent value. In-network commercial rates commonly hover around 150% - 250% of Medicare, while rates exceeding 300% are elevated. Hover over the green and blue markers to view detailed calculations.
Out-of-Pocket Cost Estimator
Estimate whether it is more economical to use your insurance or pay the upfront self-pay cash rate.
Commercial Insurance Negotiated Rates
Negotiated contract ranges established by major commercial carriers at this facility.
| Carrier / Plan Group | Contract Rate Range | vs. Medicare Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Christian Health Aid | $203 - $2,258 | 83% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $225 - $3,071 | 92% |
| Celtic Insurance Company | $227 | 93% |
| Health Partners Of Kansas | $230 - $2,559 | 94% |
| Healthy Blue | $234 | 96% |
| Aetna | $243 - $2,710 | 100% |
| Choicecare | $270 - $3,011 | 111% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the MRI, lower back (no contrast) procedure at Pratt Regional Medical Center in Pratt, KS, the cash median price is $1,149.00, which is lower than the facility's gross charge of $1,641.00. While commercial insurance negotiated rates vary significantly by plan, ranging from a low of $203 to a high of $3,011 across seven payers, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying cash directly more cost-effective if their insurance allowed amount exceeds the cash price. It is important to note that commercial rates often include administrative overhead and can be higher than the true cost of care; for context, the Medicare benchmark for this service is $243.77, which serves as a baseline for evaluating fair pricing rather than the inflated chargemaster list.
Patients should be aware that while the No Surprises Act protects against balance billing for emergency care and non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, unexpected charges can still occur if ancillary services are not covered by the contract. To minimize costs, consumers should request a full itemized billing audit before paying any invoice, as summary bills often obscure errors or unbundled charges that could reduce the total owed. Additionally, asking the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts prior to scheduling can result in significant savings, as these upfront payment incentives bypass the costly claims processing cycle and administrative fees associated with insurance billing.