CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: Meadville Medical Center

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$265

about 1.1× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $159–$308

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$249

About the fair price

about $16 under the fair price · 1.0× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $265 This hospital $249 Cash price $861 Hospital's list price $1,435

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 $249

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 $265 (about 1.1× the $244 Medicare rate). Meadville Medical Center charges insurers about $249, or about $861 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Meadville, 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	$66 - $651	27%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$66 - $767	27%
Aetnamajor	$66 - $747	27%
Cignamajor	$66 - $259	27%
Humanamajor	$66 - $249	27%
AmeriHealth	$69 - $187	28%
Geisinger	$67 - $254	27%
HealthPartners	$69 - $187	28%
UPMC Health Plan	$249	102%
+ 1 smaller / regional plan	$66 - $249

Government programs also on file: Medicare.

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 861), 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 Meadville 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 Meadville Medical Center

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

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