Anthem Blue Cross shoulder MRI cost in California (2026): what Anthem Blue Cross pays
Anthem Blue Cross shoulder MRI cost in California, 2026: the middle of Anthem's rate menu for a shoulder MRI at doctors' offices and imaging centers is $469. By area, its median runs from $433 (Los Angeles) to $553 (Oakland). Original Medicare pays $235 to $278.
Anthem Blue Cross rate by area
| Area | Anthem Blue Cross median, middle half | Billing entities | Typical (excl. Anthem) | Original Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $481 $303 to $634 | 208 | $389 | $272 |
| Oakland | $553 $380 to $782 | 116 | $490 | $272 |
| San Jose | $457 $294 to $641 | 306 | $438 | $278 |
| Los Angeles | $433 $301 to $578 | 636 | $415 | $235 |
Anthem lists the same menu of rates under nearly every contract, so its figures show the middle of that menu, not the rate a specific provider is paid. Providers within 20 miles of each downtown. Typical (excl. Anthem): the middle of the insurer medians in that area, leaving out Anthem's rate menu.
Your plan's price
Anthem Blue Cross has many contracts, and your plan uses one of them. Most providers' rates fall in the middle half shown above; the rate for your plan can be higher or lower. For a plan-specific estimate, sign in to Anthem's Find Care and cost estimates.
What you would actually pay
The negotiated rate is the total the provider is paid. Your share depends on your plan. If you have not met your deductible, you usually pay the whole negotiated rate: at a $469 rate, that is $469. Once the deductible is met, coinsurance applies: at 20% coinsurance you would pay $94 and the insurer the rest. Plans with a flat copay for this service charge the copay instead.
Going out of network is different. The provider has no agreed rate with your insurer, so they can usually bill their full listed price. Federal and California law limit that in emergencies, for out-of-network clinicians at in-network hospitals and surgery centers and, under California-regulated plans, at other in-network facilities such as imaging centers and labs. Many HMO and EPO plans pay nothing for out-of-network care.
About a shoulder MRI
An MRI of an arm joint without contrast dye. The same code covers the shoulder, elbow and wrist, so these prices apply to all three. It is the usual scan for a suspected rotator cuff or labral tear. Billing code: CPT 73221.
What the price covers
- Rates here are for the whole service billed as one charge: the scan and the radiologist's reading.
- An MRI arthrogram, where contrast is injected into the joint, is billed with different codes.
Where these numbers come from
Rates come from the price transparency files Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna publish. We clean the files before summarizing them and only show an insurer when enough providers report a rate. Medicare figures are from the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule. More on how these pages are built.