Pretreat rbc density gradient separation reference 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

$129.66

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.

$330.75

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.

$23.88 with Molina vs $324.14 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
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $23.88 ↓ -82%
CenCal Medicaid|< 21 $23.88 ↓ -82%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $23.88 ↓ -82%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $23.88 ↓ -82%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $23.88 ↓ -82%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $23.88 ↓ -82%
CenCal Medicaid|> 21 $23.88 ↓ -82%
Health Net Medicaid|< 21 $29.37 ↓ -77%
Health Net Medicaid|> 21 $29.37 ↓ -77%
MHS HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $89.31 ↓ -31%
Cigna Commercial|All Other Plans $124.75 ↓ -4%
Cigna Commercial|PPO $124.75 ↓ -4%
Blue Shield CA Commercial|Exchange $158.76 ↑ +22%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $165.38 ↑ +28%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $165.64 ↑ +28%
MHS Hospice Commercial|All Plans $167.65 ↑ +29%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $178.99 ↑ +38%
United Commercial|HMO $178.99 ↑ +38%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $178.99 ↑ +38%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $185.22 ↑ +43%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $205.07 ↑ +58%
United Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Health Net Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Humana Commercial|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
BCBS - Anthem Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Alignment Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Blue Shield CA Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $217.73 ↑ +68%
Blue Shield CA Commercial|FFS $224.91 ↑ +73%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $260.35 ↑ +101%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $265.96 ↑ +105%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $281.14 ↑ +117%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $281.14 ↑ +117%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $292.57 ↑ +126%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $324.14 ↑ +150%

Visitor-reported prices

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Pretreat rbc density gradient separation reference at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville $280.26 $27.47 – $392.85
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $141.57 $23.88 – $324.14
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $249.66 $23.88 – $360.64
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $74.20 $23.39 – $200.00
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $73.40 $23.39 – $200.00
St. Joseph's Behavioral Health Center Stockton $114.20 $20.00 – $160.00
St. Joseph's Medical Center Stockton Stockton $108.20 $23.88 – $200.00
Providence Mission Hospital - Mission Viejo Mission Viejo $36.00 $186.26 – $405.38

All California hospitals for this procedure →