MRI, brain (with and without contrast)
Facility: Satanta District Hospital, Clinics, & Ltcu
Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70553
- Insurance Median: $623
- Cash Discount Price: $779
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 1.75x 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 $356.43 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Benefit-All Plans | $208 | 58% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $251 - $865 | 70% |
| Berkley Net-All Plans | $346 | 97% |
| Trustmark Health Benefits-All Plans | $381 | 107% |
| Aetna | $381 - $588 | 107% |
| Meritain Health-All Plans | $389 | 109% |
| Ambetter / Centene | $415 | 116% |
| Axa Equitable - All Plans | $476 | 134% |
| Pinnacol-All Plans | $484 | 136% |
| Medi-Share-All Plans | $493 | 138% |
| Presbyterian-All Plans | $528 | 148% |
| Kasb Work Comp - All Plans | $554 | 155% |
| The Kempton Group Admin-All Plans | $597 | 167% |
| Gpha(Wppa)-All Other Plans | $606 | 170% |
| Auxiant - All Plans | $606 | 170% |
| Wppa- All Plans | $614 | 172% |
| Emc-All Plans | $623 | 175% |
| Sisco-All Plans | $623 | 175% |
| Providers Care Network- All Plans | $623 | 175% |
| Gpha Employee Benefit Plan | $631 | 177% |
| Employee Benefit-All Plans | $649 | 182% |
| Regional Care(Wppa)-All Plans | $649 | 182% |
| Triangle-All Plans | $657 | 184% |
| First Health -All Plans | $657 | 184% |
| One Call Physician-All Plans | $666 | 187% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $683 | 192% |
| Tricare | $692 | 194% |
| Christian Hospital Aid - All Plans | $692 | 194% |
| Humana | $744 | 209% |
| Luminare Health- All Plans | $761 | 214% |
| Cigna | $761 | 214% |
| Coresource-All Plans | $778 | 218% |
| Deseret Mutual(Uhis)-All Plans | $778 | 218% |
| Vaccn-All Plans | $796 | 223% |
| Hma Llc-All Plans | $822 | 231% |
| Wps Vapc-All Plans | $822 | 231% |
| Reserve National-All Plans | $822 | 231% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $865 | 243% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the MRI of the brain (with and without contrast) at Satanta District Hospital, the cash median price is $779.00, which is notably higher than the state of Kansas average of $623.00. While commercial insurance plans like UnitedHealthcare and Aetna negotiate rates ranging from $251 to $865, these figures often exceed the cash price due to administrative costs and contract structures. Patients with high-deductible plans should consider paying the cash price directly, as it may be cheaper than the insurance negotiated rate, provided they have the funds available. It is also important to verify if the facility offers a "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discount for upfront payment, which can further reduce the final amount owed.
The facility's rates are benchmarked against Medicare, which sets a baseline of $356.43 for this procedure. The commercial negotiated rates observed in this data are significantly higher than the Medicare amount, reflecting the markup typical of commercial contracts. Because the No Surprises Act prohibits balance billing for emergency care and non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, patients should be cautious about signing consent waivers that might allow for unexpected out-of-network charges. If a patient receives an itemized bill that appears inflated, they should request a formal audit to identify errors, unbundled codes, or services not rendered, ensuring they are only paying for the care actually received.