Puncture arterial withdrawal blood for diagnosis at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital

1201 S Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO · SSM Health · · NPI 1942685920

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Apr 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$107.80

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.

$196.00

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.

$18.79 with BCBS vs $3,362.00 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
BCBS Anthem Pathway Exchange $18.79 ↓ -83%
BCBS Anthem Blue Preferred HMO/POS $19.19 ↓ -82%
BCBS Anthem Blue Access Choice All Commercial Plans $19.19 ↓ -82%
BCBS Anthem Blue Access PPO $20.69 ↓ -81%
BCBS Anthem Medicare Managed Care Plan $130.60 ↑ +21%
Aetna Medicare Managed Care Plan $133.26 ↑ +24%
Centene Wellcare Medicare Managed Care - PPO $134.60 ↑ +25%
Humana Medicare Managed Care Plan $135.53 ↑ +26%
Aetna Advantra Medicare Managed Care Plan $135.93 ↑ +26%
Essence Medicare Managed Care Plan $137.26 ↑ +27%
Oscar Exchange $159.92 ↑ +48%
Cigna All Commercial Plans $289.00 ↑ +168%
UnitedHealthCare Employee $537.00 ↑ +398%
UnitedHealthCare Non-PPO Other Commercial Plan $760.00 ↑ +605%
UnitedHealthCare Options PPO $961.00 ↑ +791%
Aetna Carelink All Commercial Plans $2,176.00 ↑ +1919%
Aetna All Commercial Plans $3,362.00 ↑ +3019%

Visitor-reported prices

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Puncture arterial withdrawal blood for diagnosis at other Missouri hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital Saint Louis $153.01 $15.98 – $2,623.00
SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital - Lake Saint Louis Lake Saint Louis $188.65 $16.36 – $279.00
SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis Bridgeton $188.65 $16.36 – $279.00
SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital- Wentzville Wentzville $188.65 $16.36 – $541.00
SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital - St. Charles Saint Charles $188.65 $16.36 – $279.00
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - St. Louis Richmond Heights $188.65 $16.36 – $279.00
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Jefferson City Jefferson City $190.74 $132.53 – $2,277.00
Mercy Hospital Aurora Aurora $999.05 $17.23 – $169.23

All Missouri hospitals for this procedure →