CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$122

about 0.5× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $98–$561

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$101

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $21 under the fair price · 0.4× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $122 This hospital $101 Cash price $1,166 Hospital's list price $2,287

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other OH hospitals

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

Cheapest $101 Priciest $223

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 OH 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 $122 (about 0.5× the $244 Medicare rate). Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center charges insurers about $101, or about $1,166 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Cincinnati, OH.

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	$50 - $3,774	21%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$46 - $4,140	19%
Aetnamajor	$48 - $4,001	20%
Cignamajor	$292 - $4,001	120%
Humanamajor	$50 - $1,053	21%
AmeriHealth	$104 - $412	43%
CareSource	$49 - $2,022	20%
Medical Mutual	$193 - $4,001	79%
Molina	$106 - $419	43%
WellCare	$50 - $1,108	21%
+ 14 smaller / regional plans	$48 - $4,128

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 1,166), 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 Cincinnati Children's Hospital 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 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

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

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