CMS Price Transparency Data

MRI, brain (with and without contrast)

Facility: Unitypoint Health - Meriter

Billing Code: 70553 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$360

about 1.0× the $356 Medicare rate · typically $288–$825

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$301

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $59 under the fair price · 0.8× Medicare

Medicare pays $356 Fair price $360 This hospital $301 Cash price $3,170 Hospital's list price $3,962

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other WI hospitals

A typical price — 4 charge more and 4 charge less, among the 9 WI hospitals compared.

Cheapest $117 Priciest $345

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 WI 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, brain (with and without contrast) is about $360 (about 1.0× the $356 Medicare rate). Unitypoint Health - Meriter charges insurers about $301, or about $3,170 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Madison, WI.

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Cigna✓ Humana AetnaKaiser 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	$101 - $1,636	28%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$101 - $3,764	28%
Cignamajor	$1,189	334%
Humanamajor	$106 - $345	30%
HealthPartners	$222 - $1,446	62%
Meridian	$106 - $345	30%
Quartz	$1,236	347%
Security Health Plan	$1,228	345%
+ 5 smaller / regional plans	$101 - $3,368

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 3,170), 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: 70553.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Unitypoint Health - Meriter is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 70553.
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 Unitypoint Health - Meriter

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

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