Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital

420 34th St., Bakersfield, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1467538520

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$189.38

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.

$516.00

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.

$123.13 with Kern Health System vs $598.65 with Cigna — 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
Kern Health System Medicaid|< 21 $123.13 ↓ -35%
Kern Health System Medicaid|> 21 $123.13 ↓ -35%
Kaiser Medicaid|< 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
Kaiser Medicaid|> 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
LA Care Medicaid|< 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
Care 1st Medicaid|> 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
LA Care Medicaid|> 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
Care 1st Medicaid|< 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $125.71 ↓ -34%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $145.41 ↓ -23%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $165.94 ↓ -12%
CHN Sun View Commercial|All Plans $189.03 ↓ -0%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|PremerTiered $191.94 ↑ +1%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $203.57 ↑ +7%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Exchange $212.30 ↑ +12%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $221.02 ↑ +17%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $229.74 ↑ +21%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $247.19 ↑ +31%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $290.81 ↑ +54%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $290.81 ↑ +54%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
United Medicare|All Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
United Commercial|HMO $290.81 ↑ +54%
United Commercial|Options PPO $290.81 ↑ +54%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $290.81 ↑ +54%
Health Net Medicaid|GemCare $290.81 ↑ +54%
Health Net Medicaid|Non-GemCare $290.81 ↑ +54%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $290.81 ↑ +54%
Scan Health Plan Medicare|All Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
BrightHealth Commercial|All Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
HPN Medicare|All Plans $290.81 ↑ +54%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Burn $319.90 ↑ +69%
HPN Commercial|All Plans $319.90 ↑ +69%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $395.51 ↑ +109%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $457.06 ↑ +141%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $457.06 ↑ +141%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $598.65 ↑ +216%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $598.65 ↑ +216%

Visitor-reported prices

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Surgical pathology level 5 gross & microscopic examination at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $191.44 $123.13 – $598.65
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $222.51 $137.16 – $813.52
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $653.82 $163.66 – $566.82
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $141.24 $109.34 – $536.77
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $291.05 $56.81 – $215.18
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $129.36 $59.05 – $631.01
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $613.53 $206.83 – $566.82
Providence St Joseph Hospital Eureka Eureka $409.53 $234.54 – $566.82

All California hospitals for this procedure →