Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance at Banner Lassen Medical Center

1800 Spring Ridge Drive, Susanville, CA · Banner Health · · NPI 1538197231

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 12, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$601.34

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.

$1,152.00

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.

$138.50 with Anthem Blue Cross California vs $1,117.44 with Health Net — 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
Anthem Blue Cross California Medicare Advantage $138.50 ↓ -77%
Partnership HealthPlan of CA Partnership Medi-Cal $392.54 ↓ -35%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $472.32 ↓ -21%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $472.32 ↓ -21%
Network Providers, LLC California Prison Health Care Services (CPHCS) $614.02 ↑ +2%
Imperial Health Plan of California, Inc Medi-Medi/Medicare Advantage $637.63 ↑ +6%
Blue Shield of California CalPERS PPO $1,002.24 ↑ +67%
Multiplan Commercial $1,036.80 ↑ +72%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,071.36 ↑ +78%
Cigna Healthcare & Life Insurance Company – WY Commercial $1,094.40 ↑ +82%
Coventry Commercial $1,105.92 ↑ +84%
Coventry Workers Comp $1,105.92 ↑ +84%
First Health Medical Rental $1,105.92 ↑ +84%
Health Net Medicare $1,117.44 ↑ +86%
Health Net Commercial Exchange $1,117.44 ↑ +86%

Visitor-reported prices

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Spinal puncture lumbar diagnostic w/fluoroscopic or CT guidance at other California hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
St. John's Camarillo Hospital Camarillo $790.59 $359.92 – $1,617.30
Petaluma Valley Hospital Petaluma $1,391.79 $951.25 – $2,695.00
Arroyo Grande Hospital Santa Maria $851.30 $237.90 – $1,766.94
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas $1,204.13 $237.90 – $1,771.84
French Hospital San Luis Obispo $757.74 $237.90 – $1,821.82
Mercy Hospitals – Bakersfield Bakersfield $745.34 $237.90 – $1,607.20
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield $737.31 $237.90 – $1,587.11
Queen of The Valley Medical Center Napa $3,870.39 $1,002.25 – $6,200.00

All California hospitals for this procedure →