Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at Methodist Hospital of Sacramento

7500 Hospital Dr., Sacramento, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1467560599

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

$1,212.48

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$4,210.00

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.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$105.95 with United vs $7,452.00 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.

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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 $105.95 ↓ -91%
United Medicaid|< 21 $105.95 ↓ -91%
Hill Physicians Commercial|All Plans $107.02 ↓ -91%
Hill Physicians Medicaid|All Plans $128.08 ↓ -89%
Molina Medicaid|All Plans $173.58 ↓ -86%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $175.43 ↓ -86%
Health Net Medicaid|All Plans $267.81 ↓ -78%
California Health & Wellness Medicaid|All Plans $267.81 ↓ -78%
Hill Physicians Medicare|All Plans $355.04 ↓ -71%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|All Plans $397.02 ↓ -67%
Western Health Advantage Commercial|All Plans $692.65 ↓ -43%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Other Plans $766.15 ↓ -37%
Kaiser Medicaid|All Plans $811.39 ↓ -33%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $812.46 ↓ -33%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $812.46 ↓ -33%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $812.46 ↓ -33%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $812.46 ↓ -33%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $812.46 ↓ -33%
Connected Care Commercial|Intel $812.46 ↓ -33%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $812.46 ↓ -33%
United Medicare|All Plans $828.71 ↓ -32%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|Imperial $836.83 ↓ -31%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $1,484.25 ↑ +22%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $1,563.41 ↑ +29%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|BRMS $1,583.20 ↑ +31%
Sutter Health Commercial|All Plans $1,583.20 ↑ +31%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $1,602.99 ↑ +32%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $1,642.57 ↑ +35%
United Commercial|HMO $1,959.21 ↑ +62%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $1,979.00 ↑ +63%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $1,979.00 ↑ +63%
United Commercial|Options PPO $1,979.00 ↑ +63%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Connection EPO $2,838.00 ↑ +134%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|All Other Plans $3,547.00 ↑ +193%
Health Net Commercial|EPPO $3,882.00 ↑ +220%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $4,718.00 ↑ +289%
Aetna Commercial|PPO $5,532.00 ↑ +356%
Aetna Commercial|HMO $5,532.00 ↑ +356%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $5,532.00 ↑ +356%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $7,452.00 ↑ +515%

Visitor-reported prices

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Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento $917.78 $105.95 – $1,583.20
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $734.53 $130.32 – $1,452.04
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $1,090.98 $152.34 – $1,351.21
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $2,134.86 $845.36 – $2,695.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $2,178.52 $105.95 – $2,878.26
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $3,367.30 $68.82 – $260.68
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $1,918.84 $105.95 – $1,774.78
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $1,548.19 $105.95 – $1,569.60

All California hospitals for this procedure →