May 3, 2018
Care costs vary greatly across Washington state, depending on location and the provider organization. In this series of articles, we’ll show care costs based on approximately 105,000 claims in Washington. The data reflects a year’s worth of claims from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. The costs shown are allowed amounts paid by Premera and our members for care, based on contracts between Premera and healthcare providers. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Brain MRI
We looked at cost data for two types of brain MRI: with and without contrast dyes. Below are the average total costs for these diagnostic procedures, based on allowed amounts, as described above. Patients’ out-of-pocket costs may be less.
MRI Brain with Contrast*
| Region |
Minimum |
Average |
Maximum |
| Seattle Tacoma Bellevue |
$1,104 |
$1,512 |
$2,042 |
| Spokane |
$1,320 |
$1,320 |
$1,320 |
*Since this type of MRI is less common, we have claims data for only two regions and for a smaller set of providers.
MRI Brain without Contrast
| Region |
Minimum |
Average |
Maximum |
| Seattle Tacoma Bellevue |
$475 |
$1,400 |
$5,458 |
| Bremerton Silverdale |
$575 |
$760 |
$801 |
| Olympia and Longview |
$711 |
$983 |
$1,503 |
| North Puget Sound* |
$932 |
$1,362 |
$2,558 |
| Spokane |
$475 |
$1,033 |
$1,105 |
| Eastern Washington** |
$759 |
$1,193 |
$4,398 |
| Non-Metro WA |
$582 |
$1,552 |
$2,816 |
*North Puget Sound includes Bellingham, Mount Vernon, and Anacortes.
**Eastern Washington includes Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, and Yakima.
What can you do?
As we partner with our providers to make healthcare work better, our goal is to ensure that our members receive the right service at a fair price. Ask your administrator if your practice refers patients to a cost-effective provider of imaging services. You can also use the AIM OptiNet® Tool to guide your patients to high-value, lower-cost imaging facilities. Visit AIM’s ProviderPortal to enroll.