Inj proc myelogram lumbar 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

$330.46

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.

$843.00

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.

$101.68 with Molina vs $7,439.00 with BCBS - Anthem — 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
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $101.68 ↓ -69%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $101.68 ↓ -69%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $101.68 ↓ -69%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $101.68 ↓ -69%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $101.68 ↓ -69%
Health Net Medicaid|< 21 $125.07 ↓ -62%
Health Net Medicaid|> 21 $125.07 ↓ -62%
CenCal Medicaid|> 21 $160.28 ↓ -51%
CenCal Medicaid|< 21 $160.28 ↓ -51%
MHS HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $216.54 ↓ -34%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $441.10 ↑ +33%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $449.12 ↑ +36%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $497.24 ↑ +50%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $681.70 ↑ +106%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $681.70 ↑ +106%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $737.84 ↑ +123%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $785.96 ↑ +138%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $785.96 ↑ +138%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $4,063.00 ↑ +1129%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $4,363.00 ↑ +1220%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $7,439.00 ↑ +2151%

Visitor-reported prices

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Inj proc myelogram lumbar at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $162.50 $100.17 – $289.38
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $373.23 $146.21 – $693.55
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $1,088.34 $464.59 – $1,687.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $353.53 $101.68 – $753.62
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $2,349.65 $101.68 – $1,360.24
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $201.83 $101.68 – $484.16
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $199.65 $101.68 – $538.56
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $698.19 $655.25 – $6,200.00

All California hospitals for this procedure →