Bx spinal cord pq ndl at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center

350 W Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1982733655

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$1,227.75

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.

$3,214.00

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.

$269.29 with Health Choice vs $3,499.51 with BCBS - AZ — 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
Health Choice Medicaid|All Plans $269.29 ↓ -78%
United Medicaid|All Plans $269.29 ↓ -78%
United Commercial|DignityHealthEmployee $610.66 ↓ -50%
Optum Commercial|OptumHealth $1,510.58 ↑ +23%
United Medicare|Dual Complete $1,685.18 ↑ +37%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Mercy Care Plan Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
First Health Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
United Medicare|All Other Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Mercy Care Plan Medicaid|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Health Choice Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Cigna Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Optum Medicare|OptumCare $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
BCBS - AZ Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Care 1st Medicare|All Plans $1,726.88 ↑ +41%
Cigna Commercial|LifeSource $1,767.70 ↑ +44%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Neighborhood $1,770.91 ↑ +44%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|MaricopaFocus $1,770.91 ↑ +44%
Devoted Health Medicare|All Plans $1,778.69 ↑ +45%
Optum Medicare|OptumHealth $1,899.57 ↑ +55%
Other Commercial|NTN $1,928.40 ↑ +57%
LifeTrac Commercial|All Plans $2,089.10 ↑ +70%
Cigna Commercial|Exchange $2,119.00 ↑ +73%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $2,249.80 ↑ +83%
Health Net Commercial|Interlink $2,249.80 ↑ +83%
Cigna Commercial|LocalPlus SureFit $2,269.00 ↑ +85%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|All Other Plans $2,361.22 ↑ +92%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $2,539.06 ↑ +107%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $2,985.00 ↑ +143%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Workers Comp $3,499.51 ↑ +185%

Visitor-reported prices

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Bx spinal cord pq ndl at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $796.91 $949.44 – $2,849.35
Banner Estrella Medical Center Phoenix $861.46 $779.10 – $2,849.35
Arizona General Hospital Laveen Phoenix not published $269.29 – $1,778.69
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $761.29 $779.10 – $4,018.00
Banner Desert Medical Center Mesa $788.00 $779.10 – $2,849.35
Banner Ironwood Medical Center San Tan Valley $859.24 $779.10 – $2,590.32
Banner Gateway Medical Center Gilbert $683.38 $779.10 – $2,849.35
Banner Goldfield Medical Center Apache Junction $422.94 $779.10 – $2,590.32

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →