Microdissection manual 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

$63.61

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.

$162.26

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.

$43.82 with MHS HSPCC vs $575.46 with Cigna — 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 HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $43.82 ↓ -31%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $81.13 ↑ +28%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $90.87 ↑ +43%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $100.61 ↑ +58%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $112.83 ↑ +77%
CenCal Medicaid|> 21 $112.83 ↑ +77%
CenCal Medicaid|< 21 $112.83 ↑ +77%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $112.83 ↑ +77%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $112.83 ↑ +77%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $112.83 ↑ +77%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $112.83 ↑ +77%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $137.93 ↑ +117%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $137.93 ↑ +117%
Health Net Medicaid|> 21 $138.78 ↑ +118%
Health Net Medicaid|< 21 $138.78 ↑ +118%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $152.53 ↑ +140%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $155.77 ↑ +145%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $159.02 ↑ +150%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $162.26 ↑ +155%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $162.26 ↑ +155%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $162.26 ↑ +155%
United Commercial|HMO $162.26 ↑ +155%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $162.26 ↑ +155%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $575.46 ↑ +805%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $575.46 ↑ +805%

Visitor-reported prices

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Microdissection manual at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $69.45 $81.13 – $489.51
Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta Mt Shasta $431.79 $102.24 – $417.48
St. Mary Medical Center Long Beach $64.25 $37.35 – $564.15
Community Hospital San Bernardino San Bernardino $58.42 $82.17 – $564.15
Glendale Memorial Hospital Health Center Glendale $48.71 $37.35 – $477.27
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding $281.39 $112.83 – $426.00
St. Bernardine Medical Center San Bernardino $49.76 $43.33 – $564.15
St. Elizabeth Community Hospital Red Bluff $324.12 $112.83 – $417.48

All California hospitals for this procedure →