Biopsy needle lymph node superficial 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

$907.97

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.

$4,165.00

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 United vs $8,480.00 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
United Medicaid|< 21 $81.18 ↓ -91%
United Medicaid|> 21 $81.18 ↓ -91%
Hill Physicians Commercial|All Plans $85.99 ↓ -91%
Hill Physicians Medicare|All Plans $132.35 ↓ -85%
Molina Medicaid|All Plans $132.99 ↓ -85%
Hill Physicians Medicaid|All Plans $140.76 ↓ -84%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $192.79 ↓ -79%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|All Plans $296.87 ↓ -67%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $296.87 ↓ -67%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|All Plans $436.32 ↓ -52%
Western Health Advantage Commercial|All Plans $1,399.30 ↑ +54%
Kaiser Medicaid|All Plans $1,639.18 ↑ +81%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $2,007.80 ↑ +121%
United Medicare|All Plans $2,129.16 ↑ +134%
Molina Medicare|All Plans $2,129.16 ↑ +134%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|PPO $2,129.16 ↑ +134%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|HMO $2,129.16 ↑ +134%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $2,129.16 ↑ +134%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $2,129.16 ↑ +134%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $2,129.16 ↑ +134%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Imperial $2,193.03 ↑ +142%
BrightHealth Commercial|All Plans $2,342.08 ↑ +158%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $2,878.56 ↑ +217%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $2,998.50 ↑ +230%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $3,158.42 ↑ +248%
Prison Healthcare Medicaid|All Plans $3,193.74 ↑ +252%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $3,198.40 ↑ +252%
Sutter Health Commercial|All Plans $3,198.40 ↑ +252%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Connection EPO $3,631.00 ↑ +300%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $3,998.00 ↑ +340%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $4,539.00 ↑ +400%
Health Net Commercial|EPPO $4,599.00 ↑ +407%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $5,002.00 ↑ +451%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $5,002.00 ↑ +451%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $5,002.00 ↑ +451%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $6,582.00 ↑ +625%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $8,480.00 ↑ +834%

Visitor-reported prices

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Biopsy needle lymph node superficial at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento $1,199.52 $81.18 – $3,318.34
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

All California hospitals for this procedure →