# Why comparing medical prices saves you money

> The same scan or procedure can cost several times more depending on where you go. When comparing prices pays off, and the free price lookup that's coming.

For patients & families. HTML version: https://ushealth.io/for/patients

Your insurance plan has agreed a different price with every provider. Until you meet your deductible, that's the price you pay. Comparing before you book can save hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars on the same scan, test or procedure.

## One knee MRI, three places, three prices

Illustrative example: on the same insurance plan, a knee MRI costs $480 at an independent imaging center, $1,250 at a hospital-owned imaging center and $2,600 at a hospital outpatient department. With $3,000 of your deductible left, you would pay the full price, so choosing the imaging center saves $2,120. (Illustrative example, not real prices.)

## Why prices differ so much

Every price is the result of a separate negotiation between your insurer and a provider, so neighbouring providers can be paid very differently for exactly the same service. Where the care happens matters too: hospital departments often add a facility fee that an independent imaging center or surgery center doesn't.

If you have a high-deductible plan, or simply haven't met your deductible yet this year, you pay the negotiated price in full. That's why the same MRI can cost you $480 or $2,600.

## Why comparing prices matters

- **Up to 40×**: difference in price for the same service within a single metro area ([Health Care Cost Institute, Past the Healthy Marketplace Index](https://healthcostinstitute.org/hcci-research/past-the-healthy-marketplace-index-exploring-actual-prices-paid-for-specific-services-by-metro-area))
- **$562 – $9,691**: negotiated rate for an outpatient colonoscopy in the Chicago area, depending on where it was done ([Trilliant Health, 2025 price transparency report](https://www.trillianthealth.com/market-research/reports/2025-price-transparency))
- **67.5% lower**: median colonoscopy price at an ambulatory surgery center than at a hospital outpatient department ([Trilliant Health, 2025 price transparency report](https://www.trillianthealth.com/market-research/reports/2025-price-transparency))
- **Since July 2022**: health insurers and plans have had to publish the rates they negotiate with providers ([CMS, Transparency in Coverage final rule fact sheet](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/transparency-coverage-final-rule-fact-sheet-cms-9915-f))

## When comparing pays off

- **Planned, non-urgent care**: Scans, lab tests, colonoscopies, physical therapy and planned surgery all leave time to compare before you book.
- **Before you meet your deductible**: Until then you pay the full negotiated price, so every dollar of difference is yours.
- **When there's a choice of setting**: Independent imaging centers and ambulatory surgery centers often cost much less than hospital outpatient departments for the same care.
- **When cash might be cheaper**: Sometimes a provider's cash price is lower than the rate your plan has negotiated. It's worth checking both.

## Questions the price lookup will answer

- What will my MRI cost at each imaging center near me, on my plan?
- Is a surgery center cheaper than the hospital for my colonoscopy?
- Should I use my insurance or pay cash?
- Roughly how much will I owe if I haven't met my deductible?

## What's coming

- **Price lookup** (Free, for patients and the public, coming soon): Search a procedure, pick your insurance plan or cash, and compare prices at providers near you.

## How it will work

1. **Find the procedure**: Ask your doctor's office for the name of the procedure, or its CPT code, if you can.
2. **Check your plan**: Make sure the providers you're comparing are in network, and check how much of your deductible is left.
3. **Compare the total**: Compare prices across nearby providers, and ask whether there are separate fees, such as a facility or anesthesia fee.

## Questions

### Is comparing prices worth it if I have insurance?

Often, yes. Until you meet your deductible you pay the negotiated price, and after that coinsurance is usually a percentage of it, so a lower price means a lower bill either way.

### Does a lower price mean lower quality?

Not necessarily. Much of the difference in price comes from negotiation and the setting of care rather than the care itself. Check that a provider is in network and right for your needs, then compare.

### Is the price I see what I'll pay?

Not exactly. Prices are published rates, not a quote. What you pay depends on your deductible, coinsurance and any separate fees, so confirm with your plan and the provider before you book.

### When can I use the price lookup?

It's coming soon, and it will be free. Join the list and we'll tell you when prices for your area are live.

## Be first to compare prices near you

The price lookup will be free. Leave your email and we'll tell you when your area goes live. [Notify me](mailto:hello@ushealth.io?subject=Notify%20me%20when%20the%20price%20lookup%20launches) (email to hello@ushealth.io; no pricing yet).

## Related

- [Price transparency data for employers](https://ushealth.io/for/employers.md)
- [Healthcare price transparency API and data](https://ushealth.io/for/developers.md)
- [What machine-readable files are](https://ushealth.io/what-are-mrf-files)
- Glossary: [Negotiated rate](https://ushealth.io/glossary/negotiated-rate)
- Glossary: [Cash price](https://ushealth.io/glossary/cash-price)
- Glossary: [Place of service](https://ushealth.io/glossary/place-of-service)
- Glossary: [CPT code](https://ushealth.io/glossary/cpt-code)