What does it cost near you?
The same MRI can cost three times more in a different building. Look up a fair price for common tests, visits and procedures in your ZIP code, and where it costs less.
Or browse 392 services
Tap a group. Every price is Medicare's published rate for your area, never a guess.
✦ Ask your healthcare shopper
Not sure what it's called? Describe it in your own words and the shopper will find it and tell you what to ask before you book.
Don't include your name or other personal details. Questions aren't published. Not medical advice; in an emergency, call 911.Ask for a fair price, and check a bill
Build a price request, a calm negotiation script, or a bill check with local price anchors. Everything is generated here in your browser: what you type is never sent to us or stored, and nothing is uploaded. General information, not legal, billing or insurance advice, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Request a Good Faith Estimate
Calm, respectful and specific works best. Use public prices as a reference point, not an accusation, and ask for any offer in writing.
Phone script
Email or patient-portal message
Checklist
Line-item checker
Type a code and the amount from your itemized bill. We show the local Medicare rate and what hospitals nearby post, where we have them. Itemized hospital bills often show list charges before any discount, so ask what you actually owe on each line.
Good Faith Estimate check
Itemized bill and financial assistance request
If your plan denies a claim or a prior authorization
- Internal appeal first. Ask your plan for a full review, generally within 180 days of the denial notice. Urgent cases must be sped up.
- Then an external review. If the plan still says no, you can ask an independent reviewer, generally within 4 months of the final denial. The plan must accept the external reviewer's decision.
- Ask your doctor for help. A letter explaining why the care is medically necessary often matters most.
How appeals work (HealthCare.gov) · External review · Medicare appeals (Medicare.gov). Job-based plans that are self-funded follow federal (ERISA) rules; your denial letter says which process applies.
Educational, not legal advice. Templates are starting points you complete and send yourself. Sources: CMS, rights when not using insurance · CMS, dispute a bill · CMS, medical bill rights · IRS 501(r) · HealthCare.gov appeals · How to negotiate a hospital bill.
The building sets the price
An MRI at a hospital often costs far more than the same scan at an imaging center. Surgery centers usually cost less than hospital outpatient departments.
Medicare is the anchor
Medicare publishes what it pays for every service, adjusted for local costs. Private plans usually pay more; it's still the best public yardstick for a fair price.
Ask before you book
Ask for the cash price and a written estimate. If you're uninsured or paying yourself, you're entitled to a Good Faith Estimate before care.
Ever wondered what healthcare costs in your area, or why?
Why the same scan has three prices, and how to find the fair one before you book. Narrated by Dr. Christian Péan, orthopedic surgeon.
Offer the Price Shopper to your members
Employers, benefits administrators, health plans and patient navigators can offer this tool under their own name, with the same public data and methods. Tell us about your organization and we'll follow up.
Shop smarter, once a month
New services and markets, and one plain-English tip for getting a fair price. Free.
Data status
What each price is built from today, and the next official release we'll rebuild from.
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