Arthrocentesis/aspiration/inj major joint/bursa without Ultrasound guidance (both sides) 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

$253.10

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.

$1,161.00

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.

$45.23 with Hill Physicians vs $17,715.00 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
Hill Physicians Commercial|All Plans $45.23 ↓ -82%
United Medicaid|< 21 $52.54 ↓ -79%
United Medicaid|> 21 $52.54 ↓ -79%
Hill Physicians Medicare|All Plans $67.41 ↓ -73%
Molina Medicaid|All Plans $86.09 ↓ -66%
Hill Physicians Medicaid|All Plans $91.12 ↓ -64%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $124.79 ↓ -51%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|All Plans $192.19 ↓ -24%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $192.19 ↓ -24%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|All Plans $282.43 ↑ +12%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $365.80 ↑ +45%
Western Health Advantage Commercial|All Plans $373.80 ↑ +48%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +53%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +53%
Molina Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +53%
United Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +53%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +53%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|HMO $387.91 ↑ +53%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|PPO $387.91 ↑ +53%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Imperial $399.55 ↑ +58%
BrightHealth Commercial|All Plans $426.70 ↑ +69%
Kaiser Medicaid|All Plans $437.88 ↑ +73%
Prison Healthcare Medicaid|All Plans $581.87 ↑ +130%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $768.96 ↑ +204%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $801.00 ↑ +216%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $843.72 ↑ +233%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $854.40 ↑ +238%
Sutter Health Commercial|All Plans $854.40 ↑ +238%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $1,068.00 ↑ +322%
Health Net Commercial|EPPO $2,811.00 ↑ +1011%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $5,002.00 ↑ +1876%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $5,002.00 ↑ +1876%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $5,002.00 ↑ +1876%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $5,183.00 ↑ +1948%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Connection EPO $9,774.00 ↑ +3762%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $12,217.00 ↑ +4727%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $17,715.00 ↑ +6899%

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/inj major joint/bursa without Ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento $334.37 $45.23 – $886.44
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $454.65 $64.62 – $682.44
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $1,035.83 $96.71 – $959.33
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $1,317.84 $413.65 – $1,687.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $752.00 $52.54 – $994.70
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $1,094.24 $31.05 – $117.60
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $605.25 $52.54 – $876.12
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $348.00 $52.54 – $738.40

All California hospitals for this procedure →