CMS Price Transparency Data

CT scan, head (no contrast)

Facility: The Shriners' Hospital for Children - Boston

Billing Code: 70450 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$151

about 1.4× the $107 Medicare rate · typically $126–$484

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$125

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $26 under the fair price · 1.2× Medicare

Medicare pays $107 Fair price $151 This hospital $125 Cash price $1,332 Hospital's list price $1,332

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 $124 Priciest $128

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

⚠ The cash price looks unusually high next to the insurance price — it may be the full list price, not a real cash discount. Call to confirm the self-pay rate.

A fair price for a CT scan, head (no contrast) is about $151 (about 1.4× the $107 Medicare rate). The Shriners' Hospital for Children - Boston charges insurers about $125, or about $1,332 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Boston, MA.

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	$112	105%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$126	118%
Aetnamajor	$109 - $125	102%
Cignamajor	$139	130%
Ambetter (Centene)	$98	92%
Harvard Pilgrim	$174	163%
Providence Health Plan	$237	222%
Tufts Health Plan	$817	765%
+ 3 smaller / regional plans	$98 - $175

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 1,332), 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: 70450.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm The Shriners' Hospital for Children - Boston is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70450.
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 The Shriners' Hospital for Children - Boston

Compare: CT scan, head (no contrast) at other MA hospitals

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