Ultrasound guide intraoperative 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

$178.36

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.

$455.00

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.

$116.55 with CenCal vs $449.00 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
CenCal Medicaid|< 21 $116.55 ↓ -35%
BCBS - Anthem Medicaid|All Plans $116.55 ↓ -35%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|> 21 $116.55 ↓ -35%
Partnership Health Plan Medicaid|< 21 $116.55 ↓ -35%
CenCal Medicaid|> 21 $116.55 ↓ -35%
Molina Medicaid|< 21 $116.55 ↓ -35%
Molina Medicaid|> 21 $116.55 ↓ -35%
MHS HSPCC Commercial|All Plans $121.23 ↓ -32%
Health Net Medicaid|> 21 $143.36 ↓ -20%
Health Net Medicaid|< 21 $143.36 ↓ -20%
Western Growers Commercial|All Plans $224.50 ↑ +26%
Health Net Commercial|FFS $251.44 ↑ +41%
Kaiser Commercial|All Plans $278.38 ↑ +56%
Aetna Commercial|Gatekeeper $288.74 ↑ +62%
First Health Commercial|All Plans $381.65 ↑ +114%
Healthsmart Commercial|All Plans $381.65 ↑ +114%
United Commercial|Non-Options PPO $413.08 ↑ +132%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|Non-MCS $422.06 ↑ +137%
BCBS - Anthem Commercial|MCS $431.04 ↑ +142%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $440.02 ↑ +147%
Aetna Commercial|Non-Gatekeeper $449.00 ↑ +152%

Visitor-reported prices

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Ultrasound guide intraoperative at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
SIERRA VISTA HOSPITAL, INC. San Luis Obispo $109.08 $1,212.00 – $1,575.60
Fresno Medical Center FRESNO $476.00 not published
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $168.20 $103.68 – $299.52
Antioch Medical Center ANTIOCH $476.00 not published
Redwood City Medical Center Redwood City $476.00 not published
Santa Clara Medical Center SANTA CLARA $476.00 not published
Baldwin Park Medical Center BALDWIN PARK $852.80 not published
Riverside Medical Center RIVERSIDE $852.80 not published

All California hospitals for this procedure →