MRI, brain (with and without contrast)
Facility: Mercy Hospital of Buffalo
Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)
On the higher side — 7 of 8 other NY hospitals charge less.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 NY hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.
A fair price for a MRI, brain (with and without contrast) is about $225 (about 0.6× the $356 Medicare rate). Mercy Hospital of Buffalo charges insurers about $263, or about $711 in cash — above the fair price. Located in Buffalo, NY.
This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less
Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $225. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.
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
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 | $73 - $618 | 20% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $84 - $1,136 | 24% |
| Aetnamajor | $104 - $329 | 29% |
| Cignamajor | $104 - $454 | 29% |
| Humanamajor | $104 - $329 | 29% |
| Amerigroup | $95 - $525 | 27% |
| Fidelis Care | $94 - $1,136 | 26% |
| Independent Health | $95 - $943 | 27% |
| MagnaCare | $104 - $313 | 29% |
| Molina | $214 - $1,158 | 60% |
| MVP Health Care | $142 - $442 | 40% |
| UPMC Health Plan | $122 - $1,040 | 34% |
| WellCare | $108 - $344 | 30% |
| + 16 smaller / regional plans | $91 - $1,068 |
Self-Pay How to get the cash price
Insurance Before you use insurance
Estimate your out-of-pocket cost
A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.
Other Procedures at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo
Compare: MRI, brain (with and without contrast) at other NY hospitals
- Maimonides Medical Center · Brooklyn $115
- Saratoga Hospital · Saratoga Springs $117
- Columbia Memorial Hospital · Hudson $120
- The University of Vermont Health Network - Champl · Plattsburgh $147
- The University of Vermont Health Network-Alice Hy · Malone $230
- St Barnabas Hospital · Bronx $252
- Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center · Niagara Falls $260
- Kenmore Mercy Hospital · Kenmore $266
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.