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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (without contrast) at Banner Ironwood Medical Center

37000 North Gantzel Road, San Tan Valley, AZ · Banner Health · · NPI 1124341672

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

$282.79

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.

$2,417.00

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.

$166.84 with Mercy Care vs $1,812.75 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 $166.84 ↓ -41%
Banner University Health Plan AZ Medicaid - AHCCCS $166.84 ↓ -41%
Health Net Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -41%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -41%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -41%
UPMC Health Plan Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Gila River Health Care Corporation Managed Care Program $257.63 ↓ -9%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. HMO Medicare Advantage Plans $257.63 ↓ -9%
Banner University Health Plan University Care Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN VA Community Care Network $257.63 ↓ -9%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. PPO Medicare Advantage Plan $257.63 ↓ -9%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Humana Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Health Net Medicare $257.63 ↓ -9%
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage HMO $257.63 ↓ -9%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Mercy Care Mercy Care Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Banner Health Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Care 1st Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Medicare Advantage $257.63 ↓ -9%
Carelon Medicare Advantage $270.51 ↓ -4%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $270.51 ↓ -4%
Gold Kidney Health Plan Medicare Advantage $283.39 ↑ +0%
Arizona Priority Care Medicare Advantage $283.39 ↑ +0%
Aetna Qualified Health Plan $350.38 ↑ +24%
United Healthcare Individual Exchange $360.68 ↑ +28%
Health Net Commerical Exchange Product $381.29 ↑ +35%
Oscar Health Plan Commercial $386.44 ↑ +37%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. ACA Health Plan $386.44 ↑ +37%
Aetna Banner Employee Plans $487.00 ↑ +72%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Neighborhood $677.60 ↑ +140%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ MaricopaFocus $677.60 ↑ +140%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Alliance/Blue HPN $722.77 ↑ +156%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Alliance CHS $758.90 ↑ +168%
Hospice of the Valley Medicare $845.95 ↑ +199%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Commercial $903.46 ↑ +219%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Supplemental Senior Preferred $903.46 ↑ +219%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Workers Comp $903.46 ↑ +219%
United Healthcare UHC Doctor's Plan $987.59 ↑ +249%
Aetna Joint Venture $990.00 ↑ +250%
Aetna Designated Group $1,052.00 ↑ +272%
United Healthcare UHC Core $1,076.21 ↑ +281%
National Healthcare Solutions Inc (NHSI) and VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI) NHSI VUMI $1,087.65 ↑ +285%
Plotkin Health Plotkin Health $1,087.65 ↑ +285%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,165.03 ↑ +312%
Aetna Broad Network $1,238.00 ↑ +338%
Aetna Medical Rental $1,273.76 ↑ +350%
Quiktrip Corporation Commercial $1,305.18 ↑ +362%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. LocalFlex $1,346.00 ↑ +376%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. Commercial $1,496.00 ↑ +429%
Arizona Medical Network Commercial $1,691.90 ↑ +498%
Provider Network of America Commercial $1,812.75 ↑ +541%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (without contrast) at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $348.05 $166.84 – $1,812.75
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $529.12 $166.84 – $2,364.80
Banner University Medical Center South Tucson $404.97 $166.84 – $2,364.80
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $304.54 $166.84 – $1,812.75
Banner Boswell Medical Center Sun City $280.37 $166.84 – $1,933.60
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande $319.04 $166.84 – $1,812.75
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $302.12 $166.84 – $1,933.60
Banner Estrella Medical Center Phoenix $309.38 $166.84 – $1,812.75

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →