What Hospitals Charge in Montana: A Price Transparency Data Analysis

CT Scan Prices Across Montana

CT scans show the widest price variation in our Montana data. A CT of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast — one of the most commonly ordered diagnostic scans — ranges from $2,520 to $4,493 depending on which rural hospital you visit.

CT Abdomen/Pelvis with Contrast (CPT 74177)

Sheridan Memorial in Plentywood charges 1.8x more than Granite County Medical Center in Philipsburg for the identical scan — a $1,973 difference. Both are critical access hospitals serving small Montana communities.

CT Chest with Contrast (CPT 71260)

The pattern repeats: Sheridan Memorial is the most expensive for CT chest scans too, at 1.6x the cost of Deer Lodge Medical Center.

All CT Types — Lowest vs. Highest Cash Price

The CT Chest Low Dose outlier deserves attention: Sheridan Memorial reports a $417 cash price for this scan while Pioneer Medical Center charges $2,426 — a 5.8x spread. Sheridan's $417 price is likely the component/technical fee only, while Pioneer's $2,426 is the bundled rate. This kind of inconsistency is exactly what makes hospital price comparison so difficult for patients, even with mandatory transparency data.

MRI Prices Across Montana

MRI scans are among the most commonly shopped medical procedures. Here's what Montana's rural hospitals charge for a cash-pay MRI, using the bundled all-in price where hospitals report both component and bundled rates:

MRI Brain (CPT 70551)

Pioneer Medical Center offers the lowest brain MRI at $1,740, while Sheridan Memorial charges $3,836 — a 2.2x difference and $2,096 more for the identical scan.

MRI Knee (CPT 73721)

The spread is tighter for knee MRIs — 1.7x from lowest ($1,764 at Pioneer) to highest ($2,920 at Sheridan) — but that's still a $1,156 gap.

All MRI Types — Lowest vs. Highest Cash Price

A clear pattern emerges: Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber consistently offers the lowest MRI prices in Montana, while Sheridan Memorial in Plentywood is the most expensive for five of six MRI types. MRI spreads range from 1.3x to 2.3x — narrower than Colorado's 10–12x gaps, but still hundreds to thousands of dollars. For a patient in rural Montana driving hours to get a scan, knowing which facility charges less could save over $2,000.

Beyond Imaging: Price Variation Across Common Procedures

Price gaps extend well beyond CT and MRI scans. Here are the biggest cash price spreads we found across Montana hospitals for other commonly shopped procedures:

Emergency room visits show striking variation: a Level 5 ER visit (the most severe) ranges from $450 at Granite County Medical Center to $1,786 at Sheridan Memorial — a 4.0x spread. Even routine lab work like a CBC or lipid panel varies 2.5x across Montana's rural hospitals.

Cash vs. Negotiated: The Uninsured Penalty in Big Sky Country

Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber published the most complete negotiated rate data in our Montana dataset (1,400 negotiated price records). Comparing what cash-pay patients are charged versus what insurance companies negotiate reveals a steep penalty for the uninsured:

At Pioneer Medical Center, insured patients pay 32–53% less than cash-pay patients for the same procedures. The penalty is steepest for CT scans: a cash patient pays $3,520 for a CT Abdomen/Pelvis with Contrast, while insurers have negotiated that same scan down to $1,645 — a $1,875 difference. Even for routine ER visits, the uninsured pay a third more.

In a state where 8% of the population lacks health insurance — and where the nearest alternative hospital may be a hundred miles away — these gaps hit especially hard. Montana's uninsured residents are disproportionately self-employed ranchers, small business owners, and seasonal workers who can't easily absorb a $1,875 surcharge.

What This Means for Patients

1. Even rural hospitals vary significantly — Montana's hospitals are all small, rural facilities serving similar populations, yet prices differ by 1.5–4x for common procedures. A brain MRI ranges from $1,740 to $3,836, and a Level 5 ER visit from $450 to $1,786.
2. The uninsured penalty is severe — Cash patients at Pioneer Medical Center pay 33–53% more than negotiated insurance rates. For CT scans and MRIs, that penalty runs $700–$1,875 per procedure.
3. Geography limits your options — Unlike urban areas where patients might drive 20 minutes to a cheaper facility, Montana's distances make price shopping impractical for many. Knowing your local hospital's pricing relative to the state average is still valuable for negotiation, even if you can't easily switch facilities.
4. The data itself is inconsistent — Three of 10 Montana hospitals report two different cash prices for the same procedure, making comparison harder. This dual-pricing pattern — likely reflecting component vs. bundled fees — undermines the transparency the federal rule was designed to create.

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