MRI, brain (no contrast)
Facility: Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems
Billing Code: 70551 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70551
- Insurance Median: $2,541
- Cash Discount Price: $2,408
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 10.42x 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.
Elevated Commercial Rate Alert (Value-Gap)
The negotiated rate at this facility is 1042% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 942%). Patients with high-deductible plans or out-of-network benefits may face excessive out-of-pocket costs.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | $244 - $2,675 | 100% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $526 | 216% |
| Triwest Well Mark All Plans | $2,274 | 933% |
| First Health-All Plans | $2,408 | 988% |
| Aetna | $2,408 | 988% |
| Pref Hlth Care Sytms Comm - All Plans | $2,408 | 988% |
| Auxiant-All Plans | $2,541 | 1042% |
| Phc Leased Ntwrk Access - All Plans | $2,541 | 1042% |
| Multiplan Ppo - All Plans | $2,541 | 1042% |
| Cigna | $2,648 | 1086% |
| Health Partners Ks-All Plans | $2,648 | 1086% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For this MRI of the brain (no contrast) at Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems in Beloit, KS, the facility's cash price is $2,408, which matches the median negotiated rate across 11 insurance plans. This cash rate is significantly lower than the gross chargemaster of $2,675 and aligns closely with the state average for this service. While the facility is a Critical Access Hospital owned by the local government, patients with high-deductible plans may find paying the cash price directly more affordable than using insurance, as the negotiated rates often exceed the cash amount. To maximize savings, patients should explicitly ask the billing department about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront fee reductions can lower the final cost by 20% to 50% by bypassing administrative processing costs.
It is important to distinguish between the facility's gross charges and the actual amounts billed to patients. The Medicare benchmark for this procedure is $243.77, which serves as the objective baseline for evaluating pricing; commercial rates are typically marked up significantly above this figure. Although the No Surprises Act protects patients from balance billing for out-of-network services at in-network facilities, patients should still review their itemized bills carefully to ensure no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included. If a discrepancy arises, patients should request a formal written audit dispute rather than accepting summary bills or settling verbally, as over 80% of hospital bills contain errors that can be corrected through systematic review.