Vein x-ray skull 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

$1,239.21

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.

$3,244.00

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.

$162.72 with United vs $3,568.40 with Optum — 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 Medicaid|All Plans $162.72 ↓ -87%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Neighborhood $394.38 ↓ -68%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|MaricopaFocus $394.38 ↓ -68%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|All Other Plans $525.84 ↓ -58%
United Commercial|DignityHealthEmployee $616.36 ↓ -50%
Aetna Commercial|All Plans $639.58 ↓ -48%
BCBS - AZ Commercial|Workers Comp $775.96 ↓ -37%
Optum Commercial|OptumHealth $1,524.68 ↑ +23%
Cigna Commercial|LifeSource $1,784.20 ↑ +44%
Other Commercial|NTN $1,946.40 ↑ +57%
LifeTrac Commercial|All Plans $2,108.60 ↑ +70%
Health Net Commercial|Interlink $2,270.80 ↑ +83%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $2,270.80 ↑ +83%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $2,562.76 ↑ +107%
United Commercial|Options PPO $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
United Medicare|All Other Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Care 1st Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Cigna Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Cigna Commercial|Exchange $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Cigna Commercial|LocalPlus SureFit $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
First Health Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Optum Medicare|OptumCare $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
United Commercial|Navigate $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
BCBS - AZ Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Health Choice Medicaid|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Health Choice Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Mercy Care Plan Medicaid|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
Mercy Care Plan Medicare|All Plans $3,244.00 ↑ +162%
United Medicare|Dual Complete $3,273.65 ↑ +164%
Optum Medicare|OptumHealth $3,568.40 ↑ +188%

Visitor-reported prices

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Vein x-ray skull at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $1,388.29 $153.00 – $5,535.21
Banner Estrella Medical Center Phoenix $1,284.90 $393.26 – $5,535.21
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center Gilbert $840.09 $162.72 – $3,354.67
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $1,024.80 $221.27 – $5,535.21
Banner University Medical Center South Tucson $1,052.13 $221.27 – $5,535.21
Banner Desert Medical Center Mesa $1,378.44 $393.26 – $5,535.21
Banner Gateway Medical Center Gilbert $1,462.13 $393.26 – $5,535.21
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center Glendale $1,260.29 $72.99 – $5,535.21

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →