Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation 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

$129.12

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.

$338.00

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.

$16.05 with United vs $316.00 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
United Commercial|Navigate $16.05 ↓ -88%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $22.93 ↓ -82%
United Commercial|Options PPO $22.93 ↓ -82%
United Medicare|Dual Complete $40.82 ↓ -68%
Optum Medicare|OptumCare $41.83 ↓ -68%
Mercy Care Plan Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Cigna Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Health Choice Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
First Health Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
BCBS - AZ Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Mercy Care Plan Medicaid|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Care 1st Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Health Choice Medicaid|All Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
United Medicare|All Other Plans $41.83 ↓ -68%
Optum Medicare|OptumHealth $46.01 ↓ -64%
United Commercial|DignityHealthEmployee $60.04 ↓ -54%
United Medicaid|All Plans $79.39 ↓ -39%
Cigna Commercial|Exchange $89.50 ↓ -31%
Cigna Commercial|LocalPlus SureFit $95.66 ↓ -26%
Aetna Commercial|All Plans $122.16 ↓ -5%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $125.87 ↓ -3%
Optum Commercial|OptumHealth $148.52 ↑ +15%
Cigna Commercial|LifeSource $173.80 ↑ +35%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|MaricopaFocus $189.34 ↑ +47%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Neighborhood $189.34 ↑ +47%
Other Commercial|NTN $189.60 ↑ +47%
LifeTrac Commercial|All Plans $205.40 ↑ +59%
Health Net Commercial|Interlink $221.20 ↑ +71%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $221.20 ↑ +71%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $249.64 ↑ +93%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|All Other Plans $252.45 ↑ +96%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Workers Comp $316.00 ↑ +145%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Arizona General Hospital Laveen Phoenix $78.32 $22.92 – $279.42
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center Gilbert $41.09 $23.38 – $128.59
Yavapai Regional Medical Center (East) Prescott $181.79 $41.83 – $89.25
Arizona General Hospital Mesa Mesa $84.48 $22.92 – $279.42
Chandler Regional Medical Center Chandler $44.76 $22.93 – $140.28

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →