CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Christus St Frances Cabrini Hospital

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$403

about 1.1× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $350–$609

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$350

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $53 under the fair price · 1.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $403 This hospital $350 Cash price $985 Hospital's list price $3,789

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other LA hospitals

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

Cheapest $183 Priciest $350

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $403 (about 1.1× the $356 Medicare rate). Christus St Frances Cabrini Hospital charges insurers about $350, or about $985 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Alexandria, LA.

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	$340 - $828	95%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$340 - $1,331	95%
Aetnamajor	$340 - $1,014	95%
Cignamajor	$1,547	434%
Humanamajor	$333 - $1,341	93%
AmeriHealth	$455	128%
Health Net	$2,273 - $3,221	638%
Healthcare Highways	$2,273	638%
WellCare	$357	100%
+ 14 smaller / regional plans	$340 - $3,031

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

Excludes 5 rental-network / third-party entries (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 985), 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 Christus St Frances Cabrini Hospital 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 Christus St Frances Cabrini Hospital

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

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