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CMS Price Transparency Data Hospital file updated: 2026-04-15

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

Pillar 1 · The BaseRate™ CompositeHow 1.00× Fair BaseRate Works: Raw price averages unfairly penalize hospitals in high-wage cities or trauma centers treating sicker patients. We adjust for local CMS hospital wage levels and patient complexity first. A 1.00× score means right at the fair price average, 0.85× means 15% cheaper than fair market, and 1.30× means 30% above fair market.Above Fair Market · Negotiate
$424Fair BaseRate (1.21× Market)
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+21% Above Fair Price 1.00× (center of the bar) is the U.S. fair price average after accounting for local hospital wages and patient complexity. Left of center (<1.00×) is below fair price; right of center (>1.00×) is above fair price.

This hospital's typical commercial price is $514 compared to the $424 fair price benchmark.

Pillar 2 · VeriRate™ Data TrustHow VeriRate™ (0–100) Works: Hospitals are legally required to publish machine-readable price files, but some bury fake $0.01 numbers or omit cash discounts. VeriRate audits each file across 5 checks (hover any badge below to see what it tests).86/100 · Verified
86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited
File Completeness90Provenance (File Completeness): Checks whether the hospital published a complete, up-to-date machine-readable price file with valid CPT and MS-DRG billing codes instead of leaving blanks.
Price Logic88Coherence (Price Logic): Checks whether the hospital’s numbers make basic sense — e.g., self-pay cash price is lower than gross list price, with no fake $0.01 or $999,999 placeholder numbers.
Peer Alignment86Concordance (Peer Alignment): Checks whether reported prices sit in a realistic range compared to Medicare and nearby hospitals rather than wild 100× unit errors.
Clean Billing83Regularity (Clean Billing): Checks whether rates are structured consistently across procedures without erratic statistical spikes or hidden unbundled facility fees.
Real Cash Discount84Cash Honesty (Real Cash Discount): Checks whether the hospital offers a genuine self-pay cash discount that beats or matches commercial insurance rates instead of billing full sticker price.
Pillar 3 · Clinical Quality & ER SpeedChecks whether higher hospital prices actually buy better clinical quality — combining CMS Star Ratings, hospital safety scores, and emergency room wait times.Regional Quality Benchmark
CMS Star RatingNot RatedOfficial CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1 to 5 stars) summarizing mortality, safety of care, readmissions, and patient experience.
Safety ScoreNot ScoredComposite patient safety score (0–100) derived from CMS hospital-acquired infection rates (CLABSI, CAUTI, MRSA, C. diff), surgical complications, and HCAHPS surveys.
Typical ER WaitNo ER DataMedian minutes patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, as reported to CMS Timely and Effective Care.

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence
A fair price for this
$424
about 1.2× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $380–$688
modeled estimate · not a bill or quote
What this hospital charges insurers
$514
Above the fair price
about $90 over the fair price · 1.4× Medicare
Medicare pays $356 Fair price $424 This hospital $514 Cash price $2,100 Hospital's list price $6,000

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other TX hospitals

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

Cheapest $108 Priciest $514

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

Note: 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, brain (with and without contrast) is about $424 (about 1.2× the $356 Medicare rate). Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital charges insurers about $514, or about $2,100 in cash — above the fair price. Located in Houston, TX.

This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less

Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $424. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.

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

UnitedHealthcareBlue Cross Blue ShieldAetnaHumana CignaKaiser 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 $333 - $497 93%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor $508 - $924 143%
Aetnamajor $1,196 - $2,662 336%
Humanamajor $537 - $714 151%
Ambetter (Centene) $293 - $4,848 82%
Health Net $290 - $349 81%
Oscar Health $256 72%

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Insurance Before you use insurance

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Facility Profile & Credentials

  • Address: 17080 Red Oak Drive, Houston, TX 77090
  • CMS Rating: No CMS Rating
  • Ownership Type: Physician
  • Hospital Type: Acute Care Hospitals

Other Procedures at Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital

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

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

Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital (Zero PHI Required)

CMS CCN: 450774
CPT 70553
Fair BaseRate™ $424
Medicare Rate $356
Self-Pay Cash $2,100
Insurer Median $514
Pre-filled with Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital’s charged/list benchmark
Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines
2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person
Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $2,178 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $2,178

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $2,178).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Save $3,900 Paying Cash

Self-Pay Cash Rate ($2,100) Beats Your Bill

Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $2,100 (vs. $514 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$5,576 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $424 Fair BaseRate ($356 Medicare)

Your bill ($6,000) is $5,576 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($424) and 16.9× the $356 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.
Care-Setting Arbitrage, Bilateral SVD Insurer Leverage & Regional Alternatives

How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings

45 CFR § 180 Primary-Source Lineage & Federal Verification Verified CMS CCN 450774

Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings

Download Official Hospital MRF ↗ Verify on CMS Medicare.gov (CCN 450774) ↗ CMS HCRIS Cost Reports ↗
Published MRF File760246499_TOPSSurgicalSpecialtyHospital_standardcharges.json
Publication / Vintage2026-04-15 · 63.75 MB
Validated Rate Rows483,913 (CMS v3.0.0)
File Integrity Digestf42913f713c0b5135462…

Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.

Submit MRF Update Correction Policy