Medstar Union Memorial Hospital
201 East University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21218 · 94 Priced Procedures · 69% Patient Recommendation
Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
3-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 1.00× fair market pricing.
Specialty Drug & Surgical Margin Engine
Medstar Union Memorial Hospital concentrates commercial margin in outpatient surgical suites (4.1× Medicare) and specialty drug infusions (1.4× Medicare) relative to routine diagnostics (3.4×). Comparing freestanding ambulatory surgery centers or specialty pharmacy options before treatment yields substantial savings.
Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)
- Bottom-quartile procedures (Q25) price at 0.78× the peer BaseRate benchmark
- Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 80% of shoppable procedures (26/100 Cash Honesty)
- 5-Star CMS clinical rating with 69% patient recommendation (69/100 safety score)
- IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (95.0% AGB cap)
Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)
- Outpatient surgery & OR suites carry a 4.1× markup over Medicare rates
- Commercial insurance median sits at 1.00× Fair BaseRate (3.3× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
- Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 1.28×) jump +28% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 1.00×)
- Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 4.3× Medicare (36¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.
Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.
Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.
Procedure Prices at Medstar Union Memorial Hospital
High-impact clinical procedures (MRIs, surgeries, inpatient stays, visits) are prioritized first. Use the category pills or search bar to filter all 94 published procedures.
| Procedure & Billing Code | This Hospital | vs. Fair |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrasound, leg veins (duplex) CPT Code: 93970 | $2,230 | 8.2× |
| Diagnostic mammogram (both breasts) CPT Code: 77066 | $1,648 | 11.1× |
| Ultrasound, thyroid and neck CPT Code: 76536 | $1,212 | 9.2× |
| Breathing treatment (nebulizer) CPT Code: 94640 | $1,158 | 5.8× |
| MRI, brain (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70553 | $1,177 | 2.3× |
| Screening mammogram (both breasts) CPT Code: 77067 | $1,091 | 8.9× |
| Ultrasound, abdomen (complete) CPT Code: 76700 | $1,115 | 8.3× |
| Rabies immune globulin HCPCS Code: 90375 | $1,053 | 3.3× |
| Ultrasound, pelvis CPT Code: 76856 | $1,018 | 7.8× |
| Ultrasound, abdomen (limited) CPT Code: 76705 | $873 | 6.9× |
| Psychiatric evaluation (first visit) CPT Code: 90791 | $737 | 4.0× |
| MRI, knee or other leg joint CPT Code: 73721 | $596 | 1.6× |
| Psychotherapy session (60 minutes) CPT Code: 90837 | $553 | 3.1× |
| MRI, brain (no contrast) CPT Code: 70551 | $556 | 1.6× |
| MRI, lower back (no contrast) CPT Code: 72148 | $533 | 1.6× |
| Physical therapy (functional capacity test) CPT Code: 97750 | $490 | 12.9× |
| Hepatitis B immune globulin HCPCS Code: 90371 | $490 | 3.2× |
| X-ray, foot CPT Code: 73630 | $436 | 4.7× |
| X-ray, hand CPT Code: 73130 | $436 | 4.7× |
| X-ray, ankle CPT Code: 73610 | $436 | 4.7× |
| X-ray, lower back CPT Code: 72110 | $436 | 3.9× |
| X-ray, hip CPT Code: 73502 | $388 | 4.2× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast) CPT Code: 74177 | $403 | 0.9× |
| Psychotherapy session (45 minutes) CPT Code: 90834 | $368 | 2.2× |
| Diagnostic procedure preparation HCPCS Code: G0279 | $339 | 9.7× |
Audit a Bill or Quote at Medstar Union Memorial Hospital (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $2,162
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (95.0% of gross = $2,162).
Self-Pay Cash Rate ($2,230) Beats Your Bill
Medstar Union Memorial Hospital's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $2,230 (vs. $2,230 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.
Negotiate Toward $272 Fair BaseRate ($244 Medicare)
Your bill ($2,276) is $2,004 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($272) and 9.3× the $244 Medicare rate.
Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) & Amounts Generally Billed (AGB)
Hospital-Specific CMS HCRIS Benchmark (95.0% of gross charges)
Under 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5), a tax-exempt hospital organization may not bill FAP-eligible patients more than Amounts Generally Billed (AGB) to individuals with insurance covering emergency or medically necessary care. Derived from this facility’s reported CMS HCRIS cost-to-charge & insurer allowance filings. Verify your exact Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) determination directly with the billing office.
Clinical Quality, Patient Experience & Infection Benchmarks
Healthcare-Associated Infections (CDC NHSN / CMS HAI)
1.00 SIR = National Predicted Baseline (Lower Is Safer)Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare (1,042 completed HCAHPS patient surveys). Clinical quality metrics summarize historical facility-wide cohorts and are not medical advice for individual care decisions.
How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings
2D regional comparison of commercial negotiated price index against CMS clinical quality composite for Medstar Union Memorial Hospital.
Notable Payer Contract Outliers (SVD Matrix Anomalies)
Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings
Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.