CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Carolina East Medical Center

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$256

about 1.0× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $228–$420

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$228

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $28 under the fair price · 0.9× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $256 This hospital $228 Cash price $2,140 Hospital's list price $3,567

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NC hospitals

A typical price — 0 charge more and 4 charge less, among the 9 NC hospitals compared.

Cheapest $184 Priciest $228

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 NC 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 $256 (about 1.0× the $244 Medicare rate). Carolina East Medical Center charges insurers about $228, or about $2,140 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in New Bern, NC.

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	$2,536	1040%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$2,447	1004%
Aetnamajor	$3,160	1296%
Cignamajor	$3,246	1332%
Humanamajor	$228	94%
+ 5 smaller / regional plans	$228 - $3,222

Government programs also on file: Military & VA.

Excludes 6 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 2,140), 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 Carolina East Medical Center 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 Carolina East Medical Center

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

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