CMS Price Transparency Data

Colonoscopy (diagnostic)

Facility: Lowell General Hospital

Billing Code: 45378 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$1,166

about 1.2× the $950 Medicare rate · typically $655–$1,834

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$791

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $375 under the fair price · 0.8× Medicare

Medicare pays $950 Fair price $1,166 This hospital $791 Cash price $1,714 Hospital's list price $2,449

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other MA hospitals

A typical price — 5 charge more and 3 charge less, among the 9 MA hospitals compared.

Cheapest $395 Priciest $852

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

A fair price for a Colonoscopy (diagnostic) is about $1,166 (about 1.2× the $950 Medicare rate). Lowell General Hospital charges insurers about $791, or about $1,714 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Lowell, MA.

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	$376 - $3,592	40%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$312 - $2,449	33%
Aetnamajor	$2,449 - $3,469	258%
Cignamajor	$612 - $1,745	64%
Humanamajor	$2,449	258%
AmeriHealth	$429 - $857	45%
AvMed	$429 - $857	45%
GEHA	$429 - $857	45%
Harvard Pilgrim	$376 - $753	40%
Tufts Health Plan	$320 - $2,449	34%
WellSense	$429 - $2,449	45%
+ 107 smaller / regional plans	$312 - $2,449

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

Excludes 12 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 1,714), 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: 45378.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Lowell General Hospital is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 45378.
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 Lowell General Hospital

Compare: Colonoscopy (diagnostic) at other MA hospitals

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