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Knee MRI (without contrast) at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center

5555 West Thunderbird Road, Glendale, AZ · Banner Health · · NPI 1154355188

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 2, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$490.07

Cash price

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Discounted cash price

What a hospital charges a self-pay patient who pays directly, without going through insurance — usually well below the gross charge.

Example: A CT scan has a $3,200 gross charge but an $850 discounted cash price. Ask for it by name when scheduling — hospitals don't always advertise it up front.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$2,379.00

Gross charge

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Gross charge (chargemaster price)

The hospital's full, undiscounted list price — pulled from its internal "chargemaster" price list. Almost no one actually pays this.

Example: A chest X-ray has a gross charge of $1,450. The same hospital's discounted cash price for the same X-ray is $180 — the gross charge mostly anchors negotiations, not what patients pay.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$72.99 with Mercy Care vs $1,784.25 with Provider Network of America — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
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Negotiated rate

The price a specific insurance plan agreed to pay the hospital for a service — it varies by insurer, and even by plan within the same insurer.

Example: The same knee MRI has a negotiated rate of $904 with one insurer's PPO plan and $1,509 with another's — identical hospital, identical scan.

Full explanation →

Payer
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Payer

The insurance company footing the bill — Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicare, and so on.

Example: "Blue Cross Blue Shield" is the payer. Its negotiated rate for an MRI might be $904, while a different payer's negotiated rate for the same scan is $1,509.

Full explanation →
Plan
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Plan

The specific product an insurer sells — e.g. "Blue Cross PPO 500" — which sets your deductible, coinsurance and negotiated rates.

Example: Two people both insured by Aetna can owe very different amounts for the same MRI: $50 with an HMO plan's flat copay, or the full $1,200 toward a high-deductible PPO plan's unmet deductible.

Full explanation →
Negotiated rate vs. cash
Mercy Care Mercy Care Advantage/Mercy Care Plan $72.99 ↓ -85%
Banner University Health Plan AZ Medicaid - AHCCCS $166.84 ↓ -66%
Banner University Health Plan University Family Plan $166.84 ↓ -66%
Health Net Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -66%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -66%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -66%
Mercy Care Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -66%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Supplemental Senior Preferred $300.29 ↓ -39%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $475.80 ↓ -3%
Aetna Qualified Health Plan $604.27 ↑ +23%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicare Advantage $713.70 ↑ +46%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Neighborhood $771.85 ↑ +57%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ MaricopaFocus $771.85 ↑ +57%
Aetna Banner Employee Plans $799.34 ↑ +63%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Alliance/Blue HPN $823.31 ↑ +68%
Hospice of the Valley Medicare $832.65 ↑ +70%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Alliance CHS $864.47 ↑ +76%
Arizona Priority Care Alignment Health Plans Medicare Advantage/Eternal Health Plan Medicare/SCAN Health Plan Medicare $951.60 ↑ +94%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Commercial $1,029.14 ↑ +110%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Workers Comp $1,029.14 ↑ +110%
National Healthcare Solutions Inc (NHSI) and VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI) NHSI VUMI $1,070.55 ↑ +118%
Plotkin Health Plotkin Health $1,070.55 ↑ +118%
Aetna Joint Venture $1,099.10 ↑ +124%
Aetna Designated Group $1,168.09 ↑ +138%
Oscar Health Plan Commercial $1,189.50 ↑ +143%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. ACA Health Plan $1,189.50 ↑ +143%
Aetna Medical Rental $1,253.73 ↑ +156%
Health Net Commerical Exchange Product $1,284.66 ↑ +162%
Quiktrip Corporation Commercial $1,284.66 ↑ +162%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. LocalFlex $1,346.00 ↑ +175%
Aetna Broad Network $1,372.68 ↑ +180%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. Commercial $1,496.00 ↑ +205%
Arizona Medical Network Commercial $1,665.30 ↑ +240%
Provider Network of America Commercial $1,784.25 ↑ +264%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Knee MRI (without contrast) at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $456.77 $166.84 – $1,784.25
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $685.61 $166.84 – $2,964.80
Banner University Medical Center South Tucson $585.55 $166.84 – $2,964.80
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $421.08 $166.84 – $1,784.25
Banner Boswell Medical Center Sun City $349.71 $166.84 – $1,903.20
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande $471.04 $166.84 – $1,784.25
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $352.09 $166.84 – $1,903.20
Banner Estrella Medical Center Phoenix $449.63 $166.84 – $1,784.25

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →