MRA spinal canal at CHRISTUS St. Francis Cabrini Hospital

3330 Masonic Dr, Alexandria, LA · Christushealth · · NPI 1639160799

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 13, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$1,653.34

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$6,359.00

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.

$693.25 with United Healthcare vs $6,098.00 with United Healthcare — 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
United Healthcare All Payer $693.25 ↓ -58%
Humana Healthy Horizons KM $731.76 ↓ -56%
Louisiana Healthcare Connections KM $731.76 ↓ -56%
Amerihealth Caritas Louisiana KM $731.76 ↓ -56%
United Healthcare KM $731.76 ↓ -56%
Healthy Blue Louisiana KM $731.76 ↓ -56%
Aetna MM $731.76 ↓ -56%
Aetna KM $792.74 ↓ -52%
Aetna New Business $862.00 ↓ -48%
Christus Health Med Adv MM $914.70 ↓ -45%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Louisiana PPO $917.16 ↓ -45%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Louisiana Trad $917.16 ↓ -45%
Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Louisiana HMO $917.16 ↓ -45%
Aetna PPO $1,014.00 ↓ -39%
Christus Health HIX $1,280.58 ↓ -23%
Humana Choicecare $1,341.00 ↓ -19%
Cigna PPO $1,547.00 ↓ -6%
Five Point Credit Union PPO $2,251.00 ↑ +36%
LSU First Choice Verity PPO $3,049.00 ↑ +84%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana MM $3,049.00 ↑ +84%
Vantage Health Plan Inc. PPO $3,049.00 ↑ +84%
Gilsbar, Inc. Alliance PPO $3,658.80 ↑ +121%
Healthcare Highways PPO $3,658.80 ↑ +121%
Arcadian Health Plan MM $3,658.80 ↑ +121%
Verity HealthNet PPO $3,658.80 ↑ +121%
HealthSmart Accel PPO $3,963.70 ↑ +140%
PPOplus Llc PPO $3,963.70 ↑ +140%
Phcs PPO $4,268.60 ↑ +158%
Multiplan PPO $4,268.60 ↑ +158%
Health Management Network PPO $4,878.40 ↑ +195%
Provider Select PPO $4,878.40 ↑ +195%
HealthSmart PPO $4,878.40 ↑ +195%
Triwest VA MM $5,183.30 ↑ +214%
First Health PPO $5,183.30 ↑ +214%
Verity Healthnet National PPO $5,183.30 ↑ +214%
United Healthcare VA CCN MM $6,098.00 ↑ +269%

Visitor-reported prices

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MRA spinal canal at other Louisiana hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
CHRISTUS Louisiana Surgical Hospital Alexandria not published $538.31 – $1,340.00
CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospital Lake Charles not published $693.25 – $2,251.00

All Louisiana hospitals for this procedure →