CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: St Luke's Hospital - Upper Bucks Campus

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$301

about 1.2× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $253–$353

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$281

About the fair price

about $20 under the fair price · 1.2× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $301 This hospital $281 Cash price $6,501 Hospital's list price $7,223

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other PA hospitals

Highest price of the 9 PA hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $122 Priciest $281

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 PA 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 $301 (about 1.2× the $244 Medicare rate). St Luke's Hospital - Upper Bucks Campus charges insurers about $281, or about $6,501 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Quakertown, PA.

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	$267 - $2,087	110%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$247 - $1,480	101%
Aetnamajor	$252 - $2,521	103%
Cignamajor	$1,977	811%
Humanamajor	$257	105%
AmeriHealth	$307	126%
Geisinger	$252 - $2,031	103%
Oscar Health	$1,874	769%
UPMC Health Plan	$260 - $1,980	107%
+ 2 smaller / regional plans	$256 - $369

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 6,501), 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 St Luke's Hospital - Upper Bucks Campus 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 St Luke's Hospital - Upper Bucks Campus

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

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