AtalayaHealth
What does it cost here? From each hospital's CMS price file.Watch
Metro
CPT 72148 · outpatient · Phoenix
MRI lumbar spine, without contrast
The classic shoppable scan. Same magnet, same 30 minutes, wildly different bills.
20×
from $167 to $3,318
650 negotiated rates · 20 hospitals · metro median $283
- Regence BCBS
- Aetna
- Cigna
- UnitedHealthcare
- Humana
- Other
- Cash price
- Hospital's stated min to max
- % of billed charges
Metro benchmark by payer
Metro median across all plans and hospitals: $283
| Payer | Plans | Hospitals | Median | vs metro | Cheapest | Dearest | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 213 | 20 | $386 | +36% | $167 Banner University Medical Center Phoenix | $3,318 St. Joseph's Westgate Medical Center | 20× |
| Medicare Advantage | 111 | 10 | $258 | -9% | $258 Banner University Medical Center Phoenix | $283 Banner Baywood Medical Center | 1.1× |
| Regence BCBS | 74 | 20 | $678 | +139% | $184 Chandler Regional Medical Center | $903 Banner Baywood Medical Center | 4.9× |
| Medicaid / CHIP | 68 | 20 | $167 | -41% | $167 Banner University Medical Center Phoenix | $258 St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center | 1.5× |
| Aetna | 62 | 20 | $308 | +9% | $184 Chandler Regional Medical Center | $2,484 St. Joseph's Westgate Medical Center | 13× |
| UnitedHealthcare | 58 | 18 | $373 | +32% | $258 Banner University Medical Center Phoenix | $1,925 St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center | 7.5× |
| Cigna | 36 | 13 | $258 | -9% | $184 Chandler Regional Medical Center | $2,253 St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center | 12× |
| Humana | 18 | 18 | $258 | -9% | $184 Chandler Regional Medical Center | $470 HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea | 2.5× |
| Workers comp | 10 | 10 | $903 | +219% | $690 Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center | $903 Banner Baywood Medical Center | 1.3× |
Medians are over payer plans, not weighted by volume. Plans priced as a percentage or formula are excluded because there is no dollar figure to compare.
Metro versus metro
The same procedure, same method, across every metro loaded so far. Median negotiated rate over all plans and hospitals.
| Metro | Hospitals | Plans | Median | vs Phoenix | Low | High | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix AZ | 20 | 650 | $283 | $167 | $3,318 | 20× | |
| Las Vegas NV | 11 | 320 | $540 | +90% | $77 | $10,494 | 136× |
| Wasatch Front UT | 17 | 631 | $654 | +131% | $85 | $5,323 | 63× |
| Dallas–Fort Worth TX | 15 | 730 | $956 | +237% | $194 | $13,307 | 69× |
| Denver CO | 16 | 455 | $1,171 | +313% | $123 | $17,525 | 142× |