Compatibility test each unit immediate spin technique at French Hospital

1911 Johnson Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA · CommonSpirit Health · · NPI 1881760452

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

$363.00

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.

$926.00

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.

$106.90 with Cigna vs $672.28 with MultiPlan — 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
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $106.90 ↓ -71%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $106.90 ↓ -71%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $141.13 ↓ -61%
MHS Hospice Commercial|All Plans $167.65 ↓ -54%
United Commercial|HMO $178.99 ↓ -51%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $178.99 ↓ -51%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $178.99 ↓ -51%
MHS HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $185.22 ↓ -49%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
United Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
Alignment Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -40%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $249.28 ↓ -31%
Blue Shield CA Commercial|Exchange $329.28 ↓ -9%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $343.00 ↓ -6%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $384.16 ↑ +6%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $425.32 ↑ +17%
Blue Shield CA Commercial|FFS $466.48 ↑ +29%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $520.70 ↑ +43%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $531.93 ↑ +47%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $583.10 ↑ +61%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $583.10 ↑ +61%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $672.28 ↑ +85%

Visitor-reported prices

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Compatibility test each unit immediate spin technique at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $126.59 $9.45 – $93.64
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $252.58 $34.27 – $354.05
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $446.25 $125.33 – $293.80
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $396.33 $90.93 – $672.28
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $341.00 $132.46 – $501.76
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $89.04 $96.29 – $217.73
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $88.08 $66.09 – $217.73
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $389.64 $176.65 – $371.29

All California hospitals for this procedure →