CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Northern Maine Medical Center

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$445

about 1.3× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $255–$1,624

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$262

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $183 under the fair price · 0.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $445 This hospital $262 Cash price $30 Hospital's list price $1,057

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other ME hospitals

Lowest price of the 9 ME hospitals we have prices for — a strong deal.

Cheapest $262 Priciest $344

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $445 (about 1.3× the $356 Medicare rate). Northern Maine Medical Center charges insurers about $262, or about $30 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Fort Kent, ME.

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	$99 - $1,837	28%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$101 - $1,743	28%
Aetnamajor	$99 - $1,799	28%
Cignamajor	$175 - $1,876	49%
Humanamajor	$99 - $1,064	28%
Harvard Pilgrim	$160 - $1,715	45%
WellCare	$99 - $1,064	28%
+ 6 smaller / regional plans	$99 - $1,837

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

Excludes 1 rental-network / third-party entry (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 30), 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 Northern Maine Medical Center 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 Northern Maine Medical Center

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

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