Smear fluorescent and/or acid fast stain at Banner Boswell Medical Center

10401 West Thunderbird Blvd, Sun City, AZ · Banner Health · · NPI 1952560914

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

$12.38

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.

$68.00

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.

$5.39 with Aetna vs $45.60 with Arizona Medical Network — 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
Aetna Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Gila River Health Care Corporation Managed Care Program $5.39 ↓ -56%
Humana Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicaid $5.39 ↓ -56%
Banner University Health Plan University Care Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Mercy Care Mercy Medicaid $5.39 ↓ -56%
Mercy Care Mercy Care Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicaid $5.39 ↓ -56%
Care 1st Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Banner Health Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. PPO Medicare Advantage Plan $5.39 ↓ -56%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. HMO Medicare Advantage Plans $5.39 ↓ -56%
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage HMO $5.39 ↓ -56%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
UPMC Health Plan Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Health Net Medicaid $5.39 ↓ -56%
Health Net Medicare $5.39 ↓ -56%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN VA Community Care Network $5.39 ↓ -56%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Medicare Advantage $5.39 ↓ -56%
Banner University Health Plan AZ Medicaid - AHCCCS $5.39 ↓ -56%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $5.66 ↓ -54%
Carelon Medicare Advantage $5.66 ↓ -54%
Gold Kidney Health Plan Medicare Advantage $5.93 ↓ -52%
Arizona Priority Care Medicare Advantage $5.93 ↓ -52%
Aetna Qualified Health Plan $7.33 ↓ -41%
United Healthcare Individual Exchange $7.55 ↓ -39%
Health Net Commerical Exchange Product $7.98 ↓ -36%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. ACA Health Plan $8.09 ↓ -35%
Oscar Health Plan Commercial $8.89 ↓ -28%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. LocalFlex $9.45 ↓ -24%
United Healthcare UHC Doctor's Plan $9.97 ↓ -19%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. Commercial $10.50 ↓ -15%
United Healthcare UHC Core $11.03 ↓ -11%
United Healthcare Commercial $12.13 ↓ -2%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Neighborhood $14.16 ↑ +14%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Alliance/Blue HPN $15.10 ↑ +22%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Alliance CHS $15.85 ↑ +28%
Aetna Joint Venture $18.10 ↑ +46%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Supplemental Senior Preferred $18.87 ↑ +52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Commercial $18.87 ↑ +52%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Workers Comp $18.87 ↑ +52%
Aetna Banner Employee Plans $19.15 ↑ +55%
Aetna Designated Group $19.23 ↑ +55%
Hospice of the Valley Medicare $19.95 ↑ +61%
Aetna Broad Network $22.63 ↑ +83%
Plotkin Health Plotkin Health $25.65 ↑ +107%
National Healthcare Solutions Inc (NHSI) and VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI) NHSI VUMI $25.65 ↑ +107%
Aetna Medical Rental $30.04 ↑ +143%
Quiktrip Corporation Commercial $30.78 ↑ +149%
Provider Network of America Commercial $42.75 ↑ +245%
Arizona Medical Network Commercial $45.60 ↑ +268%

Visitor-reported prices

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Smear fluorescent and/or acid fast stain at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center Gilbert $77.49 $3.02 – $16.61
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $15.03 $5.39 – $42.75
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $15.91 $5.39 – $45.60
Banner University Medical Center South Tucson $11.36 $5.39 – $45.60
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $15.16 $5.39 – $42.75
Banner Behavioral Health Hospital Scottsdale $33.40 $5.39 – $39.90
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande $14.08 $5.39 – $42.75
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $13.67 $5.39 – $45.60

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →