Smear wet mount 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

$33.90

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.

$203.00

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.

$5.82 with Arizona Physicians IPA vs $24.43 with Aetna — 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
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Gila River Health Care Corporation Managed Care Program $5.82 ↓ -83%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
UPMC Health Plan Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Banner University Health Plan University Family Plan $5.82 ↓ -83%
Banner University Health Plan AZ Medicaid - AHCCCS $5.82 ↓ -83%
Banner University Health Plan Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Mercy Care Medicaid $5.82 ↓ -83%
Mercy Care Mercy Care Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. PPO Medicare Advantage Plan $5.82 ↓ -83%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. HMO Medicare Advantage Plan $5.82 ↓ -83%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Banner Health Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicaid $5.82 ↓ -83%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN VA Community Care Network $5.82 ↓ -83%
Health Net Medicare $5.82 ↓ -83%
Health Net Medicaid $5.82 ↓ -83%
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage HMO $5.82 ↓ -83%
Arizona Physicians IPA Medicaid $5.82 ↓ -83%
Care 1st Medicare Advantage $5.82 ↓ -83%
Humana Medicare Advantage $5.99 ↓ -82%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $6.11 ↓ -82%
Carelon Medicare Advantage $6.11 ↓ -82%
University of Arizona (Kasser Medical Treatment Center) Commerical $6.30 ↓ -81%
Gold Kidney Health Plan Medicare Advantage $6.40 ↓ -81%
Arizona Priority Care Alignment Health Plans Medicare Advantage/Eternal Health Plan Medicare/SCAN Health Plan Medicare $6.40 ↓ -81%
NaphCare Federal $7.86 ↓ -77%
Aetna Qualified Health Plan $7.92 ↓ -77%
Plotkin Health Plotkin Health $8.10 ↓ -76%
National Healthcare Solutions Inc (NHSI) and VIP Universal Medical Insurance Group (VUMI) NHSI VUMI $8.10 ↓ -76%
United Healthcare Individual Exchange $8.15 ↓ -76%
Aetna Banner Employee Plans $8.58 ↓ -75%
Health Net Commerical Exchange Product $8.61 ↓ -75%
Health Choice Arizona, Inc. ACA Health Plan $8.73 ↓ -74%
Aetna Medical Rental $9.49 ↓ -72%
Oscar Health Plan Commercial $9.60 ↓ -72%
Quiktrip Corporation Commercial $9.72 ↓ -71%
Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Inc. Commerical/HMO Benefit Plan/Local Flex Plan/Network Benefit Plan/Open Access Plan $11.34 ↓ -67%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Medicare Supplemental Senior Preferred $12.02 ↓ -65%
United Healthcare Commercial $13.10 ↓ -61%
Provider Network of America Commercial $13.50 ↓ -60%
Arizona Medical Network Commercial $14.40 ↓ -58%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Neighborhood $17.07 ↓ -50%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Alliance/Blue HPN $18.21 ↓ -46%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BXBSAZ Alliance CHS $19.12 ↓ -44%
Aetna Joint Venture $19.54 ↓ -42%
Aetna Designated Group $20.77 ↓ -39%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Commercial $22.76 ↓ -33%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona BCBSAZ Workers Comp $22.76 ↓ -33%
Aetna Broad Network $24.43 ↓ -28%

Visitor-reported prices

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Smear wet mount at other Arizona hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson $47.50 $5.82 – $14.40
Mercy Gilbert Medical Center Gilbert $5.66 $3.22 – $17.71
Banner University Medical Center Phoenix Phoenix $11.71 $5.82 – $13.50
Banner Baywood Medical Center Mesa $11.82 $5.82 – $13.50
Banner Behavioral Health Hospital Scottsdale $31.05 $5.82 – $37.10
Banner Boswell Medical Center Sun City $9.65 $5.82 – $14.40
Banner Casa Grande Medical Center Casa Grande $10.97 $5.82 – $13.50
Banner Del Webb Medical Center Sun City West $10.65 $5.82 – $14.40

All Arizona hospitals for this procedure →