CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (no contrast)

Facility: Seattle Children's Hospital

Billing Code: 70551 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$343

about 1.4× the $244 Medicare rate · typically $158–$610

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$158

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $185 under the fair price · 0.6× Medicare

Medicare pays $244 Fair price $343 This hospital $158 Hospital's list price $2,836

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other WA hospitals

A typical price — 3 charge more and 5 charge less, among the 9 WA hospitals compared.

Cheapest $78 Priciest $250

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

A fair price for a MRI, brain (no contrast) is about $343 (about 1.4× the $244 Medicare rate). Seattle Children's Hospital charges insurers about $158 — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Seattle, WA.

What each insurance company pays

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

6 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	$44 - $4,295	18%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$42 - $4,051	17%
Aetnamajor	$158 - $4,685	65%
Cignamajor	$146 - $4,149	60%
Humanamajor	$231 - $4,637	95%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$42 - $3,661	17%
Medical Mutual	$231 - $4,637	95%
Moda Health	$158 - $4,637	65%
Molina	$42 - $3,661	17%
PacificSource	$2,722 - $4,685	1117%
Providence Health Plan	$146 - $4,149	60%
SelectHealth	$231 - $4,637	95%
Tufts Health Plan	$146 - $4,149	60%
+ 61 smaller / regional plans	$40 - $4,685

Government programs also on file: Medicaid.

Excludes 3 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, 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 Seattle Children's 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 Seattle Children's Hospital

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

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