CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (no contrast)

Facility: Cannon Memorial Hospital

Billing Code: 70551 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$167

about 0.7× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $164–$200

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$170

About the fair price

about $3 over the fair price · 0.7× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $167 This hospital $170 Cash price $200 Hospital's list price $400

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other SC hospitals

One of the lower prices — 7 of 8 other SC hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $115 Priciest $242

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (no contrast) is about $167 (about 0.7× the $244 Medicare rate). Cannon Memorial Hospital charges insurers about $170, or about $200 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Pickens, SC.

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	$64 - $3,250	26%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$64 - $3,088	26%
Aetnamajor	$64 - $2,340	26%
Cignamajor	$66 - $3,250	27%
Humanamajor	$54 - $2,340	22%
Ambetter (Centene)	$92 - $256	38%
Bright Health	$75 - $277	31%
Devoted Health	$65 - $183	27%
GEHA	$88 - $1,732	36%
Molina	$66 - $260	27%
SelectHealth	$59 - $1,968	24%
+ 34 smaller / regional plans	$64 - $3,250

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid, Military & VA.

Excludes 4 rental-network / third-party entries (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

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 200), 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 Cannon Memorial Hospital 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 Cannon Memorial Hospital

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

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