CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$425

about 1.7× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $190–$563

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$357

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $68 under the fair price · 1.5× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $425 This hospital $357 Cash price $1,546 Hospital's list price $2,379

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other MI hospitals

Highest price of the 9 MI hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $65 Priciest $357

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 MI 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 MRI, lower back (no contrast) is about $425 (about 1.7× the $244 Medicare rate). Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus charges insurers about $357, or about $1,546 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Shelby, MI.

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	$833 - $2,141	342%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$180 - $583	74%
Aetnamajor	$595	244%
Cignamajor	$2,065	847%
Humanamajor	$2,129	873%
AmeriHealth	$2,129	873%
CareSource	$2,123	871%
Dean Health Plan	$2,046	839%
GEHA	$2,141	878%
Medical Mutual	$2,129	873%
Molina	$990	406%
MVP Health Care	$2,046	839%
Oscar Health	$731	300%
Paramount	$2,046	839%
Priority Health	$2,144	880%
UniCare	$2,129	873%
+ 116 smaller / regional plans	$416 - $2,184

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid.

Excludes 8 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 1,546), 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 Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus 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.

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 Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus

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

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