CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (no contrast)

Facility: St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc

Billing Code: 70551 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$332

about 1.4× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $222–$391

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$222

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $110 under the fair price · 0.9× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $332 This hospital $222 Cash price $4,606 Hospital's list price $4,606

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NJ hospitals

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

Cheapest $222 Priciest $295

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 NJ 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, brain (no contrast) is about $332 (about 1.4× the $244 Medicare rate). St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc charges insurers about $222, or about $4,606 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Paterson, NJ.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

4 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna HumanaKaiser 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	$55 - $818	23%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$74 - $964	30%
Aetnamajor	$74 - $2,112	30%
Cignamajor	$4,606	1889%
Ambetter (Centene)	$74 - $425	30%
AmeriHealth	$74 - $2,933	30%
Clover Health	$74 - $283	30%
Fidelis Care	$55 - $922	23%
Health Net	$464 - $4,145	190%
MagnaCare	$3,224	1323%
Oscar Health	$4,339	1780%
+ 4 smaller / regional plans	$74 - $538

Excludes 2 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 4,606), 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: 70551.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70551.
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 St Joseph's University Medical Center Inc

Compare: MRI, brain (no contrast) at other NJ hospitals

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