Consult comp w/report rfrd material 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

$248.42

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.

$633.70

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.

$57.80 with MHS Hospice vs $633.70 with Aetna — 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
MHS Hospice Commercial|All Plans $57.80 ↓ -77%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $145.61 ↓ -41%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $145.61 ↓ -41%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $145.61 ↓ -41%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $145.61 ↓ -41%
CenCal Medicaid|> 21 $145.61 ↓ -41%
CenCal Medicaid|< 21 $145.61 ↓ -41%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $145.61 ↓ -41%
MHS HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $171.10 ↓ -31%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $178.99 ↓ -28%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $178.99 ↓ -28%
United Commercial|HMO $178.99 ↓ -28%
Health Net Medicaid|> 21 $179.10 ↓ -28%
Health Net Medicaid|< 21 $179.10 ↓ -28%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
Alignment Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
United Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↓ -12%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $316.85 ↑ +28%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $354.88 ↑ +43%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $392.90 ↑ +58%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $410.92 ↑ +65%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $410.92 ↑ +65%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $538.65 ↑ +117%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $538.65 ↑ +117%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $595.68 ↑ +140%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $608.36 ↑ +145%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $621.03 ↑ +150%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $633.70 ↑ +155%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $633.70 ↑ +155%

Visitor-reported prices

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Consult comp w/report rfrd material at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $76.38 $34.27 – $175.57
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $307.53 $98.94 – $494.67
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $271.23 $145.61 – $621.03
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $51.20 $34.50 – $389.84
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $50.65 $34.50 – $389.84
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $402.90 $98.94 – $625.14
Providence St Joseph Hospital Eureka Eureka $226.44 $98.94 – $708.91
Redwood Memorial Hospital Fortuna $215.22 $710.57 – $710.57

All California hospitals for this procedure →