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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with contrast) at Banner Desert Medical Center

1400 South Dobson Road, Mesa, AZ · Banner Health · · NPI 1720011810

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

$632.19

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.

$3,242.00

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.

$266.89 with Mercy Care vs $2,431.50 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 Medicaid $266.89 ↓ -58%
Banner University Health Plan AZ Medicaid - AHCCCS $266.89 ↓ -58%
Health Net Medicaid $266.89 ↓ -58%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicaid $266.89 ↓ -58%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicaid $266.89 ↓ -58%
Aetna Banner Employee Plans $341.00 ↓ -46%
UPMC Health Plan Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Gila River Health Care Corporation Managed Care Program $380.64 ↓ -40%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. HMO Medicare Advantage Plans $380.64 ↓ -40%
Banner University Health Plan University Care Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN VA Community Care Network $380.64 ↓ -40%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. PPO Medicare Advantage Plan $380.64 ↓ -40%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Humana Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Health Net Medicare $380.64 ↓ -40%
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage HMO $380.64 ↓ -40%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Mercy Care Mercy Care Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Banner Health Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Care 1st Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Medicare Advantage $380.64 ↓ -40%
Carelon Medicare Advantage $399.67 ↓ -37%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $399.67 ↓ -37%
Gold Kidney Health Plan Medicare Advantage $418.70 ↓ -34%
Arizona Priority Care Medicare Advantage $418.70 ↓ -34%
NaphCare Federal Prison System $513.86 ↓ -19%
Aetna Qualified Health Plan $517.67 ↓ -18%
United Healthcare Individual Exchange $532.90 ↓ -16%
Health Net Commerical Exchange Product $563.35 ↓ -11%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. ACA Health Plan $570.96 ↓ -10%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Neighborhood $620.60 ↓ -2%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ MaricopaFocus $620.60 ↓ -2%
Oscar Health Plan Commercial $628.06 ↓ -1%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Alliance/Blue HPN $661.98 ↑ +5%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Alliance CHS $695.07 ↑ +10%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Commercial $827.47 ↑ +31%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Supplemental Senior Preferred $827.47 ↑ +31%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Workers Comp $827.47 ↑ +31%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. LocalFlex $1,013.00 ↑ +60%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. Commercial $1,126.00 ↑ +78%
Hospice of the Valley Medicare $1,134.70 ↑ +79%
National Healthcare Solutions Inc (NHSI) and VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI) NHSI VUMI $1,458.90 ↑ +131%
Plotkin Health Plotkin Health $1,458.90 ↑ +131%
Aetna Joint Venture $1,497.80 ↑ +137%
United Healthcare UHC Doctor's Plan $1,580.51 ↑ +150%
Aetna Designated Group $1,591.82 ↑ +152%
Aetna Medical Rental $1,708.53 ↑ +170%
United Healthcare UHC Core $1,722.34 ↑ +172%
Quiktrip Corporation Commercial $1,750.68 ↑ +177%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,863.61 ↑ +195%
Aetna Broad Network $1,870.63 ↑ +196%
Arizona Medical Network Commercial $2,269.40 ↑ +259%
Provider Network of America Commercial $2,431.50 ↑ +285%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with contrast) at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $508.99 $266.89 – $2,431.50
Banner Heart Hospital Mesa $521.96 $266.89 – $2,431.50
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $538.17 $241.44 – $2,431.50
Banner University Medical Center South Tucson $333.25 $241.98 – $2,099.20
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $341.12 $241.98 – $2,099.20
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande $534.93 $241.98 – $2,431.50
Banner Boswell Medical Center Sun City $515.48 $266.89 – $2,593.60
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $567.35 $241.44 – $2,593.60

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →