Consultation pathology during surgery frozen section first tissue block at SIERRA VISTA HOSPITAL, INC.

1010 Murray Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA · Adventisthealth · · NPI 1639101116

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 10, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$4.16

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.

$46.17

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.

$15.70 with HPN-HERITAGE PROV NTWRK-ALL PLANS vs $393.73 with AH EMPLOYEE HEALTH PLAN - ALL PLANS — 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
HPN-HERITAGE PROV NTWRK-ALL PLANS HPN-HERITAGE PROV NTWRK-ALL PLANS $15.70 ↑ +277%
UHC ALL PAYER - ALL OTHER PLANS UHC ALL PAYER - ALL OTHER PLANS $15.88 ↑ +282%
UHC HMO UHC HMO $15.88 ↑ +282%
UHC PPO UHC PPO $15.88 ↑ +282%
BLUE SHIELD EPN BLUE SHIELD EPN $18.10 ↑ +335%
BLUE SHIELD HMO/POS BLUE SHIELD HMO/POS $22.53 ↑ +442%
BLUE SHIELD EPO/PPO-ALL OTHER PLANS BLUE SHIELD EPO/PPO-ALL OTHER PLANS $24.84 ↑ +497%
NBD-NTWRKS BY DESIGN NON-EXCLUS NBD-NTWRKS BY DESIGN NON-EXCLUS $26.66 ↑ +541%
NBD-NTWRKS BY DESIGN EXCLUS-ALL OTHER PLANS NBD-NTWRKS BY DESIGN EXCLUS-ALL OTHER PLANS $26.66 ↑ +541%
MEDI-CAL MEDI-CAL $46.17 ↑ +1010%
CENCAL MCAL CENCAL MCAL $52.63 ↑ +1165%
BLUE SHIELD PROMISE MCAL BLUE SHIELD PROMISE MCAL $55.50 ↑ +1234%
COALINGA-ALL PLANS COALINGA-ALL PLANS $60.02 ↑ +1343%
CCAH-CENTRL CA ALLINCE MCAL-ALL PLANS CCAH-CENTRL CA ALLINCE MCAL-ALL PLANS $60.02 ↑ +1343%
TRICARE BLUE SHIELD-ALL PLANS TRICARE BLUE SHIELD-ALL PLANS $218.74 ↑ +5158%
CENCAL MCR ADV - ALL OTHER PLANS CENCAL MCR ADV - ALL OTHER PLANS $218.74 ↑ +5158%
UHC MCR ADV UHC MCR ADV $218.74 ↑ +5158%
AETNA MCR ADV AETNA MCR ADV $218.74 ↑ +5158%
CFMG-CA FORENSIC MED GRP OP/PROFEE ONLY-ALL PLANS CFMG-CA FORENSIC MED GRP OP/PROFEE ONLY-ALL PLANS $284.36 ↑ +6736%
AH EMPLOYEE HEALTH PLAN - ALL PLANS AH EMPLOYEE HEALTH PLAN - ALL PLANS $393.73 ↑ +9365%

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Consultation pathology during surgery frozen section first tissue block at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $12.00 $8.26 – $125.77
Fresno Medical Center FRESNO $347.20 $184.00 – $184.00
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $143.23 $88.29 – $394.70
Antioch Medical Center ANTIOCH $347.20 $184.00 – $184.00
Redwood City Medical Center Redwood City $347.20 $184.00 – $184.00
Santa Clara Medical Center SANTA CLARA $347.20 $184.00 – $184.00
Baldwin Park Medical Center BALDWIN PARK $358.80 $193.00 – $193.00
Riverside Medical Center RIVERSIDE $358.80 $193.00 – $193.00

All California hospitals for this procedure →