Biopsy needle lymph node superficial 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

$2,429.26

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.

$4,717.00

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.

$81.18 with California Health & Wellness vs $13,379.00 with Health Net — 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
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Kern Health System Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Kern Health System Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Health Plan of San Joaquin Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Inland Empire Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Inland Empire Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Health Plan of San Joaquin Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Kaiser Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
Kaiser Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -97%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|< 21 $116.69 ↓ -95%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|> 21 $116.69 ↓ -95%
Central California Alliance for Health Medicaid|All Plans $127.96 ↓ -95%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $276.39 ↓ -89%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $539.00 ↓ -78%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $689.92 ↓ -72%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $700.70 ↓ -71%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $700.70 ↓ -71%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $743.82 ↓ -69%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $862.40 ↓ -64%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $1,013.32 ↓ -58%
United Commercial|HMO $1,067.22 ↓ -56%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
United Commercial|Options PPO $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
Scan Health Plan Medicare|All Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
LA Care Medicare|All Plans $1,078.00 ↓ -56%
United Medicare|All Plans $2,058.68 ↓ -15%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $2,058.68 ↓ -15%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Exchange $4,116.00 ↑ +69%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $5,322.00 ↑ +119%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $5,322.00 ↑ +119%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $5,322.00 ↑ +119%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $5,416.00 ↑ +123%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $8,557.00 ↑ +252%
Health Net Commercial|Care Product $11,751.00 ↑ +384%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $13,379.00 ↑ +451%

Visitor-reported prices

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Biopsy needle lymph node superficial at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $2,779.55 $99.85 – $4,949.88
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $2,464.88 $116.72 – $3,053.56
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $3,014.10 $1,921.00 – $4,657.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $2,163.12 $81.18 – $2,822.40
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $2,311.02 $81.18 – $1,080.94
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $1,921.59 $81.18 – $2,476.46
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $1,719.22 $81.18 – $3,276.00
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $1,700.68 $81.18 – $3,235.05

All California hospitals for this procedure →