CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Ellsworth County Medical Center

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$836

about 2.3× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $359–$1,802

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$1,143

Above the fair price

about $307 over the fair price · 3.2× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $836 This hospital $1,143 Cash price $1,143 Hospital's list price $1,143

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other KS hospitals

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

Cheapest $107 Priciest $1,143

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $836 (about 2.3× the $356 Medicare rate). Ellsworth County Medical Center charges insurers about $1,143, or about $1,143 in cash — above the fair price. Located in Ellsworth, KS.

This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less

Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $836. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.

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	$743 - $1,142	208%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$495 - $521	139%
Aetnamajor	$1,028 - $1,142	288%
Cignamajor	$1,085	304%
Humanamajor	$537 - $1,085	151%
+ 3 smaller / regional plans	$537 - $1,714

Government programs also on file: Medicaid, Military & VA.

Excludes 1 rental-network / third-party entry (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

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 1,143), 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 Ellsworth County 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 Ellsworth County Medical Center

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

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