Echo guide for amniocentesis 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

$176.01

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.

$449.00

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.

$41.10 with CenCal vs $440.02 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
CenCal Medicaid|< 21 $41.10 ↓ -77%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $41.10 ↓ -77%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $41.10 ↓ -77%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $41.10 ↓ -77%
CenCal Medicaid|> 21 $41.10 ↓ -77%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $41.10 ↓ -77%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $41.10 ↓ -77%
Health Net Medicaid|< 21 $50.55 ↓ -71%
Health Net Medicaid|> 21 $50.55 ↓ -71%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $102.04 ↓ -42%
MHS HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $121.23 ↓ -31%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $199.48 ↑ +13%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $224.50 ↑ +28%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $251.44 ↑ +43%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $278.38 ↑ +58%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $381.65 ↑ +117%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $381.65 ↑ +117%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $413.08 ↑ +135%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $422.06 ↑ +140%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $431.04 ↑ +145%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $440.02 ↑ +150%

Visitor-reported prices

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Echo guide for amniocentesis at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $487.06 $62.10 – $867.36
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $522.81 $47.27 – $646.02
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $240.54 $41.10 – $550.76
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $242.43 $23.55 – $89.18
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $159.91 $41.10 – $344.80
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $158.18 $41.10 – $426.69
St. Joseph's Medical Center Stockton Stockton $122.60 $41.10 – $175.56
Providence Mission Hospital - Mission Viejo Mission Viejo $326.88 $109.90 – $570.14

All California hospitals for this procedure →