MRI, brain (with and without contrast)
Facility: Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems
Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 70553
- Insurance Median: $2,888
- Cash Discount Price: $2,736
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 8.10x 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.
Elevated Commercial Rate Alert (Value-Gap)
The negotiated rate at this facility is 810% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 710%). 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 | $356 - $3,040 | 100% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $526 | 148% |
| Triwest Well Mark All Plans | $2,584 | 725% |
| First Health-All Plans | $2,736 | 768% |
| Pref Hlth Care Sytms Comm - All Plans | $2,736 | 768% |
| Aetna | $2,736 | 768% |
| Phc Leased Ntwrk Access - All Plans | $2,888 | 810% |
| Multiplan Ppo - All Plans | $2,888 | 810% |
| Auxiant-All Plans | $2,888 | 810% |
| Health Partners Ks-All Plans | $3,010 | 844% |
| Cigna | $3,010 | 844% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the MRI of the brain (with and without contrast) at Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems in Beloit, KS, the cash median price is $2,736, which is lower than the negotiated rates of most commercial payers listed in this report. While the facility's cash price is significantly below the gross chargemaster of $3,040, patients with high-deductible plans should consider paying out-of-pocket if their insurance negotiated rate exceeds this amount, as the cash price represents the most direct cost available. It is important to note that this facility is a Critical Access Hospital with government-local ownership, and patients should explicitly ask about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling, as these upfront payment incentives can further reduce the final bill by bypassing costly insurance claims processing.
The data indicates that the commercial negotiated rates for this service range widely, with some payers like UnitedHealthcare having a low of $356 and others, such as Triwest Well Mark All Plans, charging the full $2,584 to $2,736 range. Although the report provides a cash median and a median paid amount of $2,812, it does not include specific comparisons to state or county average pricing benchmarks. Regardless of the specific payer, patients should be aware that Medicare serves as the objective baseline for pricing; the Medicare amount for this code is $356.43, which is substantially lower than both the cash and negotiated rates. To avoid unexpected costs, consumers should request an itemized billing audit to ensure no unbundled codes or services not rendered are included, and should dispute any balance bills immediately if they arise from out-of-network ancillary services