You really never know what things will cost in the health-care marketplace. Here are four PriceCheck shares, from four identical cervical spine MRI’s. The prices? $305 and $2,294. Also $1,000 and $715.
These are four MRI’s of the cervical spine, the simplest kind, without dye or contrast (HCPCS code 72141). They should be roughly comparable. Two were in Oakland, one in San Bruno and one in San Diego. The charged prices are all over the map — which we knew already, because charged prices vary a lot.
But what’s being paid? $305 and $2,294. Also $1,000 and $715. Click the image to enlarge the spreadsheet.
What can you do? If you are having a procedure, ask in advance, “What will this cost? What will it cost me?”
For more, go to our PriceCheck launch page, or check out our PriceCheck Tumblr, which collects all our PriceCheck coverage.
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Related posts:
Part 1: How to find out what stuff costs in health care.
Part 2: How to argue a bill.
Part 3: Appealing a denial, or how to turn a “no” into a “yes.”
