CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: The University of Vermont Health Network-Alice Hy

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$291

about 0.8× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $191–$1,049

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$230

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $61 under the fair price · 0.6× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $291 This hospital $230 Cash price $2,086 Hospital's list price $2,086

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NY hospitals

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

Cheapest $115 Priciest $266

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 NY 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 (with and without contrast) is about $291 (about 0.8× the $356 Medicare rate). The University of Vermont Health Network-Alice Hy charges insurers about $230, or about $2,086 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Malone, NY.

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✓ Humana CignaKaiser 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	$72 - $5,512	20%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$53 - $5,014	15%
Aetnamajor	$102 - $4,813	29%
Humanamajor	$87 - $1,791	24%
Fidelis Care	$87 - $1,791	24%
MagnaCare	$107 - $4,477	30%
MVP Health Care	$102 - $1,806	29%
+ 4 smaller / regional plans	$70 - $5,256

Government programs also on file: Military & VA.

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 2,086), 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: 70553.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm The University of Vermont Health Network-Alice Hy is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70553.
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 The University of Vermont Health Network-Alice Hy

Compare: MRI, brain (with and without contrast) at other NY hospitals

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