Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with contrast) at Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte

501 Billingsley Rd, Charlotte, NC · Atrium Health · · NPI 1053358945

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Dec 4, 2025 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$2,413.48

Cash price

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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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$4,826.95

Gross charge

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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.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$78.77 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina vs $4,247.72 with Beechstreet — 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 →

Payer
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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
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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
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Medicare Advantage $78.77 ↓ -97%
Humana Medicare Advantage $80.35 ↓ -97%
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid $80.46 ↓ -97%
Trillium Managed Medicaid $80.46 ↓ -97%
Amerihealth Caritas Managed Medicaid $80.46 ↓ -97%
Healthy Blue Managed Medicaid $80.46 ↓ -97%
Wellcare Managed Medicaid $80.46 ↓ -97%
Carolina Complete Health Managed Medicaid $80.46 ↓ -97%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $81.53 ↓ -97%
Cigna Healthspring Medicare Advantage $82.71 ↓ -97%
Partners LME-MCO $1,061.93 ↓ -56%
Alliance Behavioral Health $1,062.89 ↓ -56%
Sandhills LME-MCO $1,064.83 ↓ -56%
MedCost Commercial $1,496.35 ↓ -38%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Individual Commercial $1,933.19 ↓ -20%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Group Commercial $1,950.09 ↓ -19%
Physician Reach Out Plan P $2,413.48 ↑ +0%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina HMO-PPO Managed Care $2,566.01 ↑ +6%
Magellan Behavioral Health $2,896.17 ↑ +20%
Quik Trip Commercial $3,137.52 ↑ +30%
GMMI Commercial $3,137.52 ↑ +30%
Carolina Behavioral Health Employee Plan $3,475.40 ↑ +44%
Healthgram Commercial $3,861.56 ↑ +60%
Cigna Behavioral Health $3,861.56 ↑ +60%
Carolina Behavioral Health Commercial $3,861.56 ↑ +60%
Humana Behavioral Health $3,958.10 ↑ +64%
Lifesynch Community Choice Care Behavioral Health $3,958.10 ↑ +64%
Provider Select Commercial $4,199.45 ↑ +74%
First Health Commercial $4,247.72 ↑ +76%
Beechstreet Commercial $4,247.72 ↑ +76%
Physician Reach Out Plan H not published by hospital —
Aetna Broad Network not published by hospital —
Broughton Cardinal Partners Commercial not published by hospital —
Aetna Whole Health not published by hospital —
United Behavioral Health not published by hospital —
Aetna Signature not published by hospital —
Aetna Preferred not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) MRI (with contrast) at other North-carolina hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Atrium Health Mercy Charlotte $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,440.79
Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,440.79
Atrium Health University City Charlotte $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,440.79
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,344.26
Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte Charlotte $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,440.79
Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,585.60
Atrium Health Cabarrus Concord $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,585.60
Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby $2,413.48 $78.77 – $4,585.60

All North-carolina hospitals for this procedure →