CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Mercy Medical Center

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price low confidence

A fair price for this

$1,349

about 3.8× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $434–$3,952

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $1,349 Cash price $3,169 Hospital's list price $5,942

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

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	$5,051	1417%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$404 - $4,932	113%
Aetnamajor	$4,754 - $5,348	1334%
Cignamajor	$4,456 - $4,635	1250%
Health Net	$404 - $5,645	113%
Moda Health	$385 - $4,694	108%
PacificSource	$4,456	1250%
+ 4 smaller / regional plans	$304 - $5,704

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 3,169), 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 Mercy Medical Center 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 Mercy Medical Center

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

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