CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$458

about 1.3× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $213–$798

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$100

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $358 under the fair price · 0.3× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $458 This hospital $100 Hospital's list price $3,301

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other KY hospitals

Lowest price of the 9 KY hospitals we have prices for — a strong deal.

Cheapest $100 Priciest $290

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $458 (about 1.3× the $356 Medicare rate). Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center charges insurers about $100 — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Danville, KY.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

3 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Cigna AetnaHumanaKaiser 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	$880	247%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$2,540 - $2,580	713%
Cignamajor	$100	28%

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, 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 Ephraim McDowell Regional 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 Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center

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

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