Arthrocentesis aspir+/injection small jt/bursa with Ultrasound 20604 at Mercy General Hospital

4001 J St., Sacramento, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1487694857

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

$250.70

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.

$1,150.00

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.

$45.28 with United vs $6,582.00 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
United Medicaid|< 21 $45.28 ↓ -82%
United Medicaid|> 21 $45.28 ↓ -82%
Hill Physicians Commercial|All Plans $46.15 ↓ -82%
Hill Physicians Medicaid|All Plans $54.75 ↓ -78%
Molina Medicaid|All Plans $74.18 ↓ -70%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $74.97 ↓ -70%
Hill Physicians Medicare|All Plans $86.21 ↓ -66%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|All Plans $115.47 ↓ -54%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $115.47 ↓ -54%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|All Plans $169.68 ↓ -32%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $365.80 ↑ +46%
Molina Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
United Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|PPO $387.91 ↑ +55%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|HMO $387.91 ↑ +55%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Imperial $399.55 ↑ +59%
Western Health Advantage Commercial|All Plans $402.50 ↑ +61%
BrightHealth Commercial|All Plans $426.70 ↑ +70%
Kaiser Medicaid|All Plans $471.50 ↑ +88%
Prison Healthcare Medicaid|All Plans $581.87 ↑ +132%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $828.00 ↑ +230%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $862.50 ↑ +244%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $908.50 ↑ +262%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $920.00 ↑ +267%
Sutter Health Commercial|All Plans $920.00 ↑ +267%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $1,150.00 ↑ +359%
Health Net Commercial|EPPO $2,811.00 ↑ +1021%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Connection EPO $3,631.00 ↑ +1348%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $4,539.00 ↑ +1711%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $5,002.00 ↑ +1895%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $5,002.00 ↑ +1895%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $5,002.00 ↑ +1895%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $5,183.00 ↑ +1967%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $6,582.00 ↑ +2525%

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis aspir+/injection small jt/bursa with Ultrasound 20604 at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento $331.20 $45.28 – $954.50
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $454.65 $55.69 – $682.44
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $1,317.84 $413.65 – $1,687.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $439.13 $45.28 – $1,005.48
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $370.05 $45.28 – $876.12
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $345.35 $45.28 – $743.39
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $2,007.36 $435.83 – $6,200.00
Healdsburg Hospital Healdsburg $349.86 $413.57 – $3,982.87

All California hospitals for this procedure →