CMS Price Transparency Data

X-ray, neck (cervical spine)

Facility: Atrium Health University City

Billing Code: 72040 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$37

about 0.4× the $89 Medicare rate · typically $35–$76

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$36

About the fair price

about $1 under the fair price · 0.4× Medicare

Medicare pays $89 Fair price $37 This hospital $36 Cash price $299 Hospital's list price $599

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NC hospitals

One of the lower prices — 2 of 8 other NC hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $30 Priciest $37

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 X-ray, neck (cervical spine) is about $37 (about 0.4× the $89 Medicare rate). Atrium Health University City charges insurers about $36, or about $299 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Charlotte, 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	$9 - $280	10%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$27 - $182	30%
Aetnamajor	$10 - $497	11%
Cignamajor	$10 - $479	11%
Humanamajor	$10 - $85	11%
Ambetter (Centene)	$176 - $217	198%
AmeriHealth	$9 - $61	10%
Health Net	$265	298%
WellCare	$9 - $62	10%
+ 17 smaller / regional plans	$9 - $581

Excludes 3 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 299), 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: 72040.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Atrium Health University City is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 72040.
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 Atrium Health University City

Compare: X-ray, neck (cervical spine) at other NC hospitals

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