CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (no contrast)

Facility: Heritage Valley Sewickley

Billing Code: 70551 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$276

about 1.1× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $195–$421

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$193

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $83 under the fair price · 0.8× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $276 This hospital $193 Cash price $474 Hospital's list price $1,756

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other PA hospitals

One of the lower prices — 6 of 8 other PA hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $127 Priciest $205

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 PA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a MRI, brain (no contrast) is about $276 (about 1.1× the $244 Medicare rate). Heritage Valley Sewickley charges insurers about $193, or about $474 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Sewickley, PA.

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	$93 - $1,478	38%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$81 - $448	33%
Aetnamajor	$93 - $729	38%
Cignamajor	$93 - $1,138	38%
UPMC Health Plan	$93 - $1,435	38%
+ 2 smaller / regional plans	$93 - $323

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 474), 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: 70551.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Heritage Valley Sewickley is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70551.
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 Heritage Valley Sewickley

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

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