CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Hood Memorial Hospital

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$306

about 1.3× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $149–$504

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $306 Hospital's list price $1,400

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

What each insurance company pays

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

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna HumanaKaiser 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	$728 - $900	299%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$624 - $1,231	256%
Aetnamajor	$1,050	431%
Cignamajor	$1,113	457%

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid.

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: 72148.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Hood Memorial Hospital is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 72148.
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.

Other Procedures at Hood Memorial Hospital

Compare: MRI, lower back (no contrast) at other LA hospitals

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