Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/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

$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.

$58.76 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 $58.76 ↓ -77%
United Medicaid|> 21 $60.67 ↓ -76%
United Medicaid|< 21 $60.67 ↓ -76%
Hill Physicians Medicaid|All Plans $73.34 ↓ -71%
Molina Medicaid|All Plans $99.40 ↓ -60%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $100.45 ↓ -60%
Hill Physicians Medicare|All Plans $105.01 ↓ -58%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|All Plans $154.67 ↓ -38%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $154.67 ↓ -38%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|All Plans $227.34 ↓ -9%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $365.80 ↑ +46%
Western Health Advantage Commercial|All Plans $373.80 ↑ +49%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Molina Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
United Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $387.91 ↑ +55%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|HMO $387.91 ↑ +55%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|PPO $387.91 ↑ +55%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Imperial $399.55 ↑ +59%
BrightHealth Commercial|All Plans $426.70 ↑ +70%
Kaiser Medicaid|All Plans $437.88 ↑ +75%
Prison Healthcare Medicaid|All Plans $581.87 ↑ +132%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $768.96 ↑ +207%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $801.00 ↑ +220%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $843.72 ↑ +237%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $854.40 ↑ +241%
Sutter Health Commercial|All Plans $854.40 ↑ +241%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $1,068.00 ↑ +326%
Health Net Commercial|EPPO $2,811.00 ↑ +1021%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $5,002.00 ↑ +1895%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $5,002.00 ↑ +1895%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $5,002.00 ↑ +1895%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $5,183.00 ↑ +1967%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Connection EPO $9,774.00 ↑ +3799%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $12,217.00 ↑ +4773%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $17,715.00 ↑ +6966%

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento $331.20 $58.76 – $886.44
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $610.88 $74.62 – $761.28
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $1,340.16 $87.24 – $1,241.60
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $2,254.71 $413.65 – $1,687.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $1,555.78 $60.67 – $3,229.10
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $536.13 $41.91 – $158.76
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $1,291.64 $60.67 – $876.12
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $323.15 $60.67 – $696.80

All California hospitals for this procedure →