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Knee MRI (without contrast) at Banner University Medical Center South

2800 East Ajo Way, Tucson, AZ · Banner Health · · NPI 1558759498

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

$585.55

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.

$3,706.00

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 Banner University Health Plan vs $2,964.80 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
Banner University Health Plan AZ Medicaid - AHCCCS $166.84 ↓ -72%
Banner University Health Plan University Family Plan $166.84 ↓ -72%
Health Net Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -72%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -72%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -72%
Mercy Care Medicaid $166.84 ↓ -72%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Supplemental Senior Preferred $463.81 ↓ -21%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Neighborhood $658.51 ↑ +12%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Alliance/Blue HPN $702.41 ↑ +20%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Alliance CHS $737.53 ↑ +26%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $741.20 ↑ +27%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Commercial $878.02 ↑ +50%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Workers Comp $878.02 ↑ +50%
Aetna Qualified Health Plan $889.44 ↑ +52%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicare Advantage $1,111.80 ↑ +90%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,165.03 ↑ +99%
Aetna Banner Employee Plans $1,204.45 ↑ +106%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. Commerical/HMO Benefit Plan/Local Flex Plan/Network Benefit Plan/Open Access Plan $1,269.00 ↑ +117%
University of Arizona (Kasser Medical Treatment Center) Commerical $1,297.10 ↑ +122%
Arizona Priority Care Alignment Health Plans Medicare Advantage/Eternal Health Plan Medicare/SCAN Health Plan Medicare $1,482.40 ↑ +153%
National Healthcare Solutions Inc (NHSI) and VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI) NHSI VUMI $1,667.70 ↑ +185%
Plotkin Health Plotkin Health $1,667.70 ↑ +185%
Aetna Joint Venture $1,712.17 ↑ +192%
Aetna Designated Group $1,819.65 ↑ +211%
Oscar Health Plan Commercial $1,853.00 ↑ +216%
Health Net Medicare $1,853.00 ↑ +216%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. ACA Health Plan $1,853.00 ↑ +216%
Aetna Medical Rental $1,953.06 ↑ +234%
Health Net Commerical Exchange Product $2,001.24 ↑ +242%
Quiktrip Corporation Commercial $2,001.24 ↑ +242%
Aetna Broad Network $2,138.36 ↑ +265%
Provider Network of America Commercial $2,779.50 ↑ +375%
Arizona Medical Network Commercial $2,964.80 ↑ +406%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Knee MRI (without contrast) at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $685.61 $166.84 – $2,964.80
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $456.77 $166.84 – $1,784.25
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $421.08 $166.84 – $1,784.25
Banner Boswell Medical Center Sun City $349.71 $166.84 – $1,903.20
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande $471.04 $166.84 – $1,784.25
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $352.09 $166.84 – $1,903.20
Banner Estrella Medical Center Phoenix $449.63 $166.84 – $1,784.25
Banner Desert Medical Center Mesa $575.72 $166.84 – $1,784.25

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →