CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Samaritan Albany General Hospital

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$268

about 0.8× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $214–$527

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$241

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $27 under the fair price · 0.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $268 This hospital $241 Cash price $2,592 Hospital's list price $3,240

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other OR hospitals

On the higher side — 6 of 8 other OR hospitals charge less.

Cheapest $116 Priciest $392

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 OR 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 $268 (about 0.8× the $356 Medicare rate). Samaritan Albany General Hospital charges insurers about $241, or about $2,592 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Albany, OR.

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

✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana UnitedHealthcareKaiser 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
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$117 - $1,461	33%
Aetnamajor	$184 - $3,173	52%
Cignamajor	$106 - $3,173	30%
Humanamajor	$102 - $3,256	29%
Devoted Health	$102 - $237	29%
Health Net	$102 - $3,240	29%
Moda Health	$126 - $2,592	35%
PacificSource	$92 - $531	26%
+ 4 smaller / regional plans	$103 - $3,240

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 2,592), 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 Samaritan Albany General Hospital 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 Samaritan Albany General Hospital

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

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