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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte
501 Billingsley Rd, Charlotte, NC · Atrium Health · · NPI 1053358945
$2,656.05
Cash price Discounted cash price What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge. Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.
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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$5,312.10
Gross charge Gross charge (chargemaster price) The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this. Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.
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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$98.32 with United Healthcare vs $4,674.65 with First Health — same scan, same building. Share
Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate
The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.
Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.
Full explanation →
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Negotiated rate
The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.
Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.
Full explanation →Payer ?Payer The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on. Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509. Full explanation → |
Plan ?Plan The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates. Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible. Full explanation → |
Negotiated rate | vs. cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Healthcare | Managed Medicaid | $98.32 | ↓ -96% |
| Wellcare | Managed Medicaid | $98.32 | ↓ -96% |
| Trillium | Managed Medicaid | $98.32 | ↓ -96% |
| Healthy Blue | Managed Medicaid | $98.32 | ↓ -96% |
| Amerihealth Caritas | Managed Medicaid | $98.32 | ↓ -96% |
| Carolina Complete Health | Managed Medicaid | $98.32 | ↓ -96% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina | Medicare Advantage | $101.73 | ↓ -96% |
| Humana | Medicare Advantage | $103.76 | ↓ -96% |
| Aetna | Medicare Advantage | $105.29 | ↓ -96% |
| Cigna Healthspring | Medicare Advantage | $106.82 | ↓ -96% |
| Partners | LME-MCO | $1,168.66 | ↓ -56% |
| Alliance | Behavioral Health | $1,169.72 | ↓ -56% |
| Sandhills | LME-MCO | $1,171.85 | ↓ -56% |
| MedCost | Commercial | $1,646.75 | ↓ -38% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina | Local Individual Commercial | $1,974.13 | ↓ -26% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina | HMO-PPO Managed Care | $1,974.13 | ↓ -26% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina | Local Group Commercial | $1,974.13 | ↓ -26% |
| Physician Reach Out | Plan P | $2,656.05 | ↑ +0% |
| Magellan | Behavioral Health | $3,187.26 | ↑ +20% |
| Quik Trip | Commercial | $3,452.87 | ↑ +30% |
| GMMI | Commercial | $3,452.87 | ↑ +30% |
| Carolina Behavioral Health | Employee Plan | $3,824.71 | ↑ +44% |
| Cigna | Behavioral Health | $4,249.68 | ↑ +60% |
| Carolina Behavioral Health | Commercial | $4,249.68 | ↑ +60% |
| Healthgram | Commercial | $4,249.68 | ↑ +60% |
| Humana | Behavioral Health | $4,355.92 | ↑ +64% |
| Lifesynch Community Choice Care | Behavioral Health | $4,355.92 | ↑ +64% |
| Provider Select | Commercial | $4,621.53 | ↑ +74% |
| Beechstreet | Commercial | $4,674.65 | ↑ +76% |
| First Health | Commercial | $4,674.65 | ↑ +76% |
| Aetna | Whole Health | not published by hospital | — |
| Broughton Cardinal Partners | Commercial | not published by hospital | — |
| Aetna | Signature | not published by hospital | — |
| United | Behavioral Health | not published by hospital | — |
| Aetna | Preferred | not published by hospital | — |
| Physician Reach Out | Plan H | not published by hospital | — |
| Aetna | Broad Network | not published by hospital | — |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at other North-carolina hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atrium Health Mercy | Charlotte | $2,656.05 | $97.35 – $4,887.13 |
| Atrium Health Pineville | Charlotte | $2,656.05 | $97.35 – $4,887.13 |
| Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte | Charlotte | $2,656.05 | $98.32 – $4,887.13 |
| Atrium Health University City | Charlotte | $2,656.05 | $97.35 – $4,887.13 |
| Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center | Charlotte | $2,656.05 | $97.35 – $4,780.89 |
| Atrium Health Anson | Wadesboro | $2,656.05 | $97.35 – $5,046.50 |
| Atrium Health Cleveland | Shelby | $2,656.05 | $97.35 – $5,046.50 |
| Atrium Health Cabarrus | Concord | $2,656.05 | $97.35 – $5,046.50 |