CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, lower back (no contrast)

Facility: North Country Hospital and Health Center

Billing Code: 72148 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price low confidence

A fair price for this

$149

about 0.6× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $86–$1,812

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$82

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $67 under the fair price · 0.3× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $149 This hospital $82 Cash price $2,220 Hospital's list price $2,775

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other VT hospitals

Lowest price of the 8 VT hospitals we have prices for — a strong deal.

Cheapest $82 Priciest $2,250

Black dot = this hospital, among the 8 VT 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 $149 (about 0.6× the $244 Medicare rate). North Country Hospital and Health Center charges insurers about $82, or about $2,220 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Newport, VT.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

3 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Cigna AetnaHumanaKaiser 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	$47 - $4,446	19%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$93 - $4,124	38%
Cignamajor	$89 - $4,421	37%
Harvard Pilgrim	$4,050	1661%
MVP Health Care	$75 - $4,396	31%

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 2,220), 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 North Country Hospital and Health 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 North Country Hospital and Health Center

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

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