Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at Banner Payson Medical Center

807 South Ponderosa Street, Payson, AZ · Banner Health · · NPI 1063923340

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

$472.82

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.

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

$983.00

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.

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

$268.55 with Arizona Physicians IPA vs $3,358.13 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona — 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.

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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.

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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.

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Negotiated rate vs. cash
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Gila River Health Care Corporation Managed Care Program $268.55 ↓ -43%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
UPMC Health Plan Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Banner University Health Plan Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Mercy Care Mercy Care Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. HMO Medicare Advantage Plan/PPO Medicare Advantage Plan $268.55 ↓ -43%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Banner Health Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN VA Community Care Network $268.55 ↓ -43%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare $268.55 ↓ -43%
Health Net Medicare $268.55 ↓ -43%
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage HMO $268.55 ↓ -43%
Care 1st Medicare Advantage $268.55 ↓ -43%
Carelon Medicare Advantage $281.98 ↓ -40%
Humana Medicare Advantage $284.66 ↓ -40%
National Healthcare Solutions Inc (NHSI) and VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI) NHSI VUMI $294.75 ↓ -38%
Plotkin Health Plotkin Health $294.75 ↓ -38%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $295.40 ↓ -38%
Arizona Priority Care Medicare Advantage $295.40 ↓ -38%
Gold Kidney Health Plan Medicare Advantage $295.40 ↓ -38%
Aetna Aetna Qualified Health Plan $365.49 ↓ -23%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. ACA Health Plan $383.18 ↓ -19%
Mercy Care Mercy Medicaid $392.67 ↓ -17%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicaid $392.67 ↓ -17%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicaid $392.67 ↓ -17%
Banner University Health Plan AZ Medicaid - AHCCCS $392.67 ↓ -17%
Health Net Medicaid $392.67 ↓ -17%
Health Net Commerical Exchange Product $397.45 ↓ -16%
Aetna Medical Rental $421.17 ↓ -11%
United Healthcare UHC Individual Exchange $438.85 ↓ -7%
Oscar Health Plan Commercial $443.11 ↓ -6%
Quiktrip Corporation Commercial $458.50 ↓ -3%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. Commerical/HMO Benefit Plan/Local Flex Plan/Network Benefit Plan/Open Access Plan $521.38 ↑ +10%
Arizona Medical Network Commercial $589.50 ↑ +25%
Provider Network of America Commercial $589.50 ↑ +25%
Aetna Banner Employee Plans $1,170.00 ↑ +147%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Neighborhood $2,518.60 ↑ +433%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Alliance/Blue HPN $2,686.50 ↑ +468%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Alliance CHS $2,820.82 ↑ +497%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Medicare $3,207.46 ↑ +578%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Commercial $3,358.13 ↑ +610%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Workers Comp $3,358.13 ↑ +610%
Aetna Broad Network not published by hospital
Aetna Joint Venture not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $1,034.68 $392.67 – $4,018.00
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $979.13 $353.40 – $2,082.06
Banner University Medical Center South Tucson $1,397.08 $353.40 – $3,036.00
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $923.50 $392.67 – $4,018.00
Banner Boswell Medical Center Sun City $858.53 $392.67 – $4,018.00
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande $937.09 $392.67 – $2,746.00
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $776.68 $392.67 – $4,018.00
Banner Desert Medical Center Mesa $1,106.95 $392.67 – $4,018.00

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →