Healthcare Savings

Compare hospital prices in Detroit: Cash vs Insurance Rates

Self-pay cash prices for an upper GI endoscopy in Detroit range from $163 at Karmanos Cancer Center to $22,720 at Detroit Receiving Hospital, a 139x spread across 29 facilities.

October 12, 202610 min read2,184 words

Written by FairVisitHealth Editorial Team · Healthcare Pricing Analysts

Reviewed by the FairVisitHealth Editorial Team (Pricing & Billing Data Review). Not medical advice. Data sourced from CMS, HRSA, and hospital price transparency filings.

Compare hospital prices in Detroit: Cash vs Insurance Rates

Key Takeaways

  • Cash prices for identical medical procedures in Metro Detroit differ by up to 139 times across facilities.
  • An upper GI endoscopy with biopsy ranges from $163 at Karmanos Cancer Center to $22,720 at Detroit Receiving Hospital.
  • An MRI of the lumbar spine varies from $70 at McLaren Port Huron to $7,778 at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital, an 110.8x price spread.
  • Michigan hospitals provided $208 million in free or discounted financial assistance to low-income patients in fiscal year 2023.
  • Federal regulations under 45 CFR Part 180 mandate hospitals publish machine-readable files listing standard charges and cash rates.

Hospital prices in Detroit across common medical procedures

Hospital prices in Detroit range from $12 for therapeutic injections up to $61,600 for total knee replacements across regional facilities.

Detroit, MI: Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy (CPT 43239) cash prices at 29 hospitals run from $163 at Karmanos Cancer Center to $22,720 at Detroit Receiving Hospital, a 139x spread; the median hospital lists $6,310 Source: FairVisitHealth price data (2026)

Procedure (CPT) Hospitals Lowest cash price Median Highest Spread
Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy (43239) 29 $163 $6,310 $22,720 139x
MRI lumbar spine without contrast (72148) 7 $70 $1,043 $7,778 110.8x
MRI knee or other lower joint (73721) 35 $136 $4,692 $12,090 88.8x
Transforaminal epidural injection (64483) 33 $338 $9,406 $22,557 66.7x
Colonoscopy with biopsy (45380) 32 $606 $6,235 $36,535 60.3x
MRI brain without contrast (70551) 39 $136 $4,147 $7,846 57.6x
CT head without contrast (70450) 7 $65 $469 $3,631 56.3x
New patient office visit, 45 min (99204) 36 $92 $2,777 $4,857 52.9x
MRI brain with and without contrast (70553) 7 $218 $1,670 $11,486 52.7x
New patient office visit, 60 min (99205) 9 $86 $533 $4,266 49.6x
New patient office visit, 15 min (99202) 30 $43 $1,595 $2,101 49.1x
Diagnostic colonoscopy (45378) 38 $470 $5,529 $22,949 48.9x
Total hip replacement (27130) 28 $1,165 $15,469 $56,754 48.7x
New patient office visit, 30 min (99203) 32 $64 $2,196 $2,852 44.5x
CT abdomen and pelvis without contrast (74176) 7 $104 $635 $3,913 37.5x
Sleep study (polysomnography) (95810) 7 $281 $544 $8,174 29.1x
Emergency department visit, low complexity (99283) 6 $56 $749 $1,610 28.9x
Emergency department visit, high complexity (99285) 6 $135 $1,746 $3,772 27.9x
Knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy (29881) 34 $1,348 $5,161 $35,731 26.5x
Abdominal ultrasound, complete (76700) 7 $59 $282 $1,508 25.6x
Therapeutic injection (96372) 7 $12 $45 $291 24.9x
Transvaginal ultrasound (76830) 7 $51 $347 $1,223 23.8x
Left heart catheterization (93452) 7 $630 $3,193 $14,084 22.4x
Established patient office visit, 40 min (99215) 7 $75 $148 $1,577 21.1x
CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast (74177) 7 $218 $754 $4,441 20.4x
Basic metabolic panel (80048) 41 $29 $38 $566 19.5x
General health panel (80050) 24 $33 $55 $628 19.3x
Physical therapy, therapeutic exercise (97110) 8 $18 $113 $301 16.7x
Cataract surgery with lens implant (66984) 13 $1,268 $1,380 $18,786 14.8x
Comprehensive metabolic panel (80053) 23 $48 $133 $687 14.3x
Lumbar epidural steroid injection (62323) 7 $311 $387 $3,810 12.3x
Established patient office visit, 20 min (99213) 8 $33 $144 $379 11.5x
TSH thyroid test (84443) 8 $10 $60 $107 10.7x
Screening mammogram (77067) 6 $54 $105 $539 10x
Established patient office visit, 30 min (99214) 7 $59 $130 $496 8.5x
Total knee replacement (27447) 27 $7,327 $16,201 $61,600 8.4x
Complete blood count with differential (85025) 5 $22 $167 $175 8x
Complete blood count, automated (85027) 5 $15 $41 $97 6.4x
Urinalysis with microscopy (81001) 30 $20 $27 $106 5.3x
Blood glucose test (82947) 5 $25 $69 $92 3.6x
Hospital (Detroit, MI, Upper GI endoscopy with biopsy 43239) Cash price Negotiated median (3+ payers) Gross charge
Karmanos Cancer Center $163 n/a $376
Mclaren Oakland $482 n/a $2,835
Mclaren Port Huron $494 n/a $1,818
Mclaren Macomb $1,220 n/a $2,492
Oakwood Healthcare $3,952 n/a n/a
William Beaumont Hospital Crna $3,952 n/a n/a
Oakwood Health Promotions $3,952 n/a n/a
Harper Hutzel Hospital $5,890 n/a n/a
William Beaumont Hospital $6,310 n/a n/a
Beaumont Farmington Hills $6,310 n/a n/a
Willliam Beaumont Hospital $6,310 n/a n/a
Beaumont Health $6,310 n/a n/a
Botsford General Hospital $6,310 n/a n/a
Botsford Continuing Care $6,310 n/a n/a
Beaumont Weight Control Center $6,310 n/a n/a
Beaumont Medical Group Primary Care Services $6,310 n/a n/a
William Beaumont $6,310 n/a n/a
Beaumont Special Radiological Procedures $6,310 n/a n/a
Beaumont Medical Group Hospital Based Services $6,310 n/a n/a
William Beauont Hospital $6,310 n/a n/a
William Beaumont Hosptial $6,310 n/a n/a
Sinai Grace Hospital $8,173 n/a n/a
Vhs Sinai Grace Hospital $8,173 n/a n/a
Vhs Harper Hutzel Hospital $9,716 n/a n/a
Huron Valley Hospital $10,497 n/a n/a
Huron Valley Sinai Hospital $10,497 n/a n/a
Detroit Medical Center Detroit Receiving Hospital $10,945 n/a n/a
Vhs Detroit Receiving Hospital $22,720 n/a n/a
Detroit Receiving Hospital $22,720 n/a n/a

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How do hospital prices in Detroit vary for self-pay patients?

Hospital prices in Detroit vary by thousands of dollars depending on which facility you choose for your procedure.

Detroit, MI: MRI lumbar spine without contrast (CPT 72148) cash prices at 7 hospitals run from $70 at Mclaren Port Huron to $7,778 at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital, a 110.8x spread; the median hospital lists $1,043 Source: FairVisitHealth price data (2026)

Karmanos Cancer Center lists an upper GI endoscopy with biopsy (CPT 43239) at $163 according to FairVisitHealth price data. Detroit Receiving Hospital lists the same endoscopy at $22,720. An MRI of the lumbar spine (CPT 72148) costs $70 at McLaren Port Huron compared to $7,778 at DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital. A knee MRI (CPT 73721) costs $136 at McLaren Macomb compared to $12,090 at William Beaumont Hospital.

Federal regulations under 45 CFR Part 180 require hospitals to publish standard charge files according to CMS. Commercial hospital rates across Michigan average below 200% of Medicare reimbursement according to RAND Corporation. In 2022, private insurer payments for inpatient hospital facility services nationwide averaged 255% of Medicare reimbursement rates according to RAND Corporation.

Michigan health systems provided $208 million in free or discounted care in fiscal year 2023 according to Michigan Health & Hospital Association. Hospitals absorbed $461 million in uncollectible debt during fiscal year 2023 according to Michigan Health & Hospital Association. Henry Ford Health gives 100% financial assistance to uninsured patients earning at or below 250% FPL according to Henry Ford Health. Corewell Health provides full financial assistance for qualifying patients at or below 250% FPL according to CareRoute.

How to use hospital prices in Detroit to lower your bill

You can lower your hospital bills in Detroit by asking for written price estimates before care and comparing quotes against published cash rates.

Detroit, MI: MRI knee or other lower joint (CPT 73721) cash prices at 35 hospitals run from $136 at Mclaren Macomb to $12,090 at William Beaumont Hosptial, a 88.8x spread; the median hospital lists $4,692 Source: FairVisitHealth price data (2026)

Ask the hospital billing office for the cash price tied to your procedure CPT code before scheduling service. Request written price quotes on official hospital letterhead prior to receiving care. Remember that the number is not final when you receive a bill.

Compare written quotes against median cash rates across regional facilities. You can use FairVisitHealth to review local hospital price records before selecting a facility. Learning how cash prices work helps self-pay patients manage medical costs. Reference public price files during bill negotiation to challenge excessive hospital charges. Our Hospital Price Transparency Guide outlines federal rights and standard charge requirements.

Methodology for Detroit hospital pricing data

This dataset combines 2,146 hospital-published price rows gathered from public machine-readable files on October 12, 2026.

Detroit, MI: Transforaminal epidural injection (CPT 64483) cash prices at 33 hospitals run from $338 at Karmanos Cancer Center to $22,557 at Vhs Detroit Receiving Hospital, a 66.7x spread; the median hospital lists $9,406 Source: FairVisitHealth price data (2026)

The main metric extracted is the disclosed cash price per CPT code. Analysts calculated facility medians across reported prices and combined hospital name variations to group regional facilities.

Metro assignment relies on three-digit ZIP code prefixes covering the Detroit region. Reporting groups require five or more independent hospitals for statistical reporting. Price spreads equal the highest cash price divided by the lowest cash price. Negotiated payer medians require three or more reporting insurance plans.

Limitations of Detroit hospital price transparency data

Hospital price transparency data reflects facility fees and varies by publication date, omitting professional charges and component entries.

Detroit, MI: Colonoscopy with biopsy (CPT 45380) cash prices at 32 hospitals run from $606 at Mclaren Port Huron to $36,535 at Detroit Medical Center Detroit Receiving Hospital, a 60.3x spread; the median hospital lists $6,235 Source: FairVisitHealth price data (2026)

File dates across Detroit facilities range from 2021 through 2026. On May 22, 2025, CMS mandated hospitals replace placeholder numbers with actual historical dollar amounts according to Michigan Health & Hospital Association.

Disclosed cash prices represent facility fees and exclude separate doctor or anesthesiologist billing. Low cash prices near $10 reflect laboratory component fees rather than full procedure charges. Hospital cash prices remain subject to provider updates without notice.

Download the raw Detroit hospital price dataset

You can download the complete file of 2,146 hospital-disclosed cash prices directly from the FairVisitHealth Detroit Hospital Price CSV File.

The dataset uses a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Cite this dataset as 'FairVisitHealth, 2026' in public references.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a hospital stay cost in Detroit without insurance?

Uninsured hospital costs in Detroit depend on the care needed, facility pricing, and stay duration. Inpatient admissions, surgical procedures, and imaging tests accumulate thousands of dollars in facility charges. Self-pay patients can request itemized written estimates and apply for hospital financial assistance programs to reduce balances.

Which hospital in Detroit has the lowest prices for common medical procedures?

Karmanos Cancer Center and McLaren health system facilities record the lowest published cash prices in Metro Detroit. Karmanos Cancer Center lists an upper GI endoscopy cash price of $163, while McLaren Port Huron lists a lumbar spine MRI for $70. Cash prices vary by procedure code, making pre-service rate comparisons across hospitals essential.

How can I get an out-of-pocket hospital cost estimate in Detroit?

Request out-of-pocket cost estimates by calling hospital billing departments with procedure CPT codes before receiving treatment. Under federal rules, self-pay patients hold the right to receive a written Good Faith Estimate prior to scheduled care. Comparing written estimates against public price files verifies quote accuracy.

What is the difference between standard hospital charges and self-pay cash prices in Michigan?

Standard charges represent gross list prices listed on hospital chargemasters before insurance adjustments. Self-pay cash prices represent discounted rates offered to patients paying directly without commercial health insurance. Disclosed self-pay cash prices in Detroit fall significantly below standard gross charges across most facilities.

Are Detroit hospitals required to post negotiated rates with health insurers?

Federal rules under 45 CFR Part 180 require hospitals to publish standard charges, cash prices, and insurer-negotiated rates in public online files. Federal regulators require health systems to update public price listings regularly. Enforcement guidelines verify facilities post actual historical payment amounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a hospital stay cost in Detroit without insurance?

Uninsured hospital costs in Detroit depend on the care needed, facility pricing, and stay duration. Inpatient admissions, surgical procedures, and imaging tests accumulate thousands of dollars in facility charges. Self-pay patients can request itemized written estimates and apply for hospital financial assistance programs to reduce balances.

Which hospital in Detroit has the lowest prices for common medical procedures?

Karmanos Cancer Center and McLaren health system facilities record the lowest published cash prices in Metro Detroit. Karmanos Cancer Center lists an upper GI endoscopy cash price of $163, while McLaren Port Huron lists a lumbar spine MRI for $70. Cash prices vary by procedure code, making pre-service rate comparisons across hospitals essential.

How can I get an out-of-pocket hospital cost estimate in Detroit?

Request out-of-pocket cost estimates by calling hospital billing departments with procedure CPT codes before receiving treatment. Under federal rules, self-pay patients hold the right to receive a written Good Faith Estimate prior to scheduled care. Comparing written estimates against public price files verifies quote accuracy.

What is the difference between standard hospital charges and self-pay cash prices in Michigan?

Standard charges represent gross list prices listed on hospital chargemasters before insurance adjustments. Self-pay cash prices represent discounted rates offered to patients paying directly without commercial health insurance. Disclosed self-pay cash prices in Detroit fall significantly below standard gross charges across most facilities.

Are Detroit hospitals required to post negotiated rates with health insurers?

Federal rules under 45 CFR Part 180 require hospitals to publish standard charges, cash prices, and insurer-negotiated rates in public online files. Federal regulators require health systems to update public price listings regularly. Enforcement guidelines verify facilities post actual historical payment amounts.

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