(Updated 2022) He shared the price of his wife’s knee joint MRI. Specifically, the MRI of the joint/lower extremity was without dye, CPT code 73721, at Trident Medical Center, North Charleston, S.C. The insurer was Aetna.
CHARGED: $4,685.00
INSURANCE PAID: $2,435.35
YOU PAID: $1,046.65
His comment
“Never I repeat NEVER go to Trident Regional Medical Center in North Charleston, SC. My wife had the same exact MRI on the same knee with the same diagnosis 1 year prior at a Medical Center 1 mile down the rd. The previous year the total charge was inline with everyone else on here $450. I have spoken with Trident 3 times making sure they didn’t make a mistake in billing. They even completed a written audit and confirmed they have ensure their charges are correct. So unless you want to pay 10X more than everywhere else NEVER go to Trident. Only reason we didn’t go to the previous place was Trident had an open appt a couple days earlier and offer the “same service”. NEVER again!”
I asked
1. Can you tell us about the circumstances?
2. Did you by chance ask in advance what it would cost? We understand, most people don’t (we didn’t until we started doing this work), but we are always curious.
3. Can you share their written audit with us?
Thank you very much for your help!
P.S. how did you find us?
He answered
Happy to share.
1) My wife does kick boxing works which she loves but obviously can be rough on the body hence 2 knee injuries in a year. She went to Palmetto Primary Care who referred her to get an MRI. Palmetto primary was unable to do the MRI until the following week but Trident had an open spot 3 days later so she took it.
2) She did not ask unfortunately. Know to now.
3) Yes. See attached. Pretty lacking in detail from what I was expecting.
I found the site while Googling fair cost for a 73721 MRI
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.”
