Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection intermediate joint/bursa without ultrasound guidance right at Mercy Medical Center Merced

333 Mercy Ave., Merced, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1518018191

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

$500.07

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.

$971.00

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.

$43.57 with Kern Health System vs $11,994.00 with BCBS - Anthem — 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 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Kaiser Medicaid|> 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|> 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|< 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Inland Empire Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Kern Health System Medicaid|< 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Health Plan of San Joaquin Medicaid|> 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Kaiser Medicaid|< 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Health Plan of San Joaquin Medicaid|< 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
Inland Empire Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $43.57 ↓ -91%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|< 21 $62.63 ↓ -87%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|> 21 $62.63 ↓ -87%
Central California Alliance for Health Medicaid|All Plans $68.69 ↓ -86%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $148.37 ↓ -70%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $196.50 ↓ -61%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $235.80 ↓ -53%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $255.45 ↓ -49%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $255.45 ↓ -49%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $271.17 ↓ -46%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $314.40 ↓ -37%
Allcare Commercial|All Plans $343.94 ↓ -31%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $369.42 ↓ -26%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
United Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
Scan Health Plan Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
LA Care Medicare|All Plans $375.07 ↓ -25%
United Commercial|HMO $389.07 ↓ -22%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $393.00 ↓ -21%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $393.00 ↓ -21%
United Commercial|Options PPO $393.00 ↓ -21%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $5,322.00 ↑ +964%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $5,322.00 ↑ +964%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $5,322.00 ↑ +964%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Exchange $5,769.00 ↑ +1054%
Health Net Commercial|Care Product $6,629.00 ↑ +1226%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $7,546.00 ↑ +1409%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $7,591.00 ↑ +1418%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $11,994.00 ↑ +2298%

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection intermediate joint/bursa without ultrasound guidance right at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $1,106.83 $53.59 – $682.44
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $302.24 $82.73 – $374.42
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $1,317.84 $413.65 – $1,687.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $1,673.06 $43.57 – $1,034.88
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $861.14 $27.17 – $102.90
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $1,532.33 $43.57 – $876.12
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $313.50 $43.57 – $676.00
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $310.12 $43.57 – $667.55

All California hospitals for this procedure →