Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at CHI Health Nebraska Heart

7500 S 91ST ST, Lincoln, NE · Chihealth · · NPI 1699718437

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$1,205.66

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.

$2,621.00

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.

$205.46 with Medica vs $6,043.00 with United — 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
Medica Commercial|ACO $205.46 ↓ -83%
United Medicaid|Community Plan $416.64 ↓ -65%
Centene Medicaid|NE Total Care $420.81 ↓ -65%
Centene Medicaid|IA Total Care $503.54 ↓ -58%
Amerigroup Medicaid|All Plans $503.54 ↓ -58%
IAMolina Medicaid|All Plans $513.42 ↓ -57%
PACE Medicare|All Plans $596.71 ↓ -51%
United Medicare|All Plans $596.71 ↓ -51%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $596.71 ↓ -51%
Medica Medicare|All Plans $596.71 ↓ -51%
BCBS - NE Medicare|All Plans $596.71 ↓ -51%
Centene Medicare|All Plans $614.61 ↓ -49%
Great Plains Medicare|All Plans $626.55 ↓ -48%
Amerigroup Medicare|All Plans $626.55 ↓ -48%
One World Commercial|Narrow Network $1,076.32 ↓ -11%
Millard Public Schools Commercial|Narrow Network $1,076.32 ↓ -11%
Greater Omaha Packing Commercial|Narrow Network $1,076.32 ↓ -11%
Midlands Choice Commercial|Standard $1,215.20 ↑ +1%
Medica Commercial|Open Access $1,215.20 ↑ +1%
Timpte Commercial|Broad Network $1,232.56 ↑ +2%
Greater Omaha Packing Commercial|Broad Network $1,232.56 ↑ +2%
Millard Public Schools Commercial|Broad Network $1,232.56 ↑ +2%
One World Commercial|Broad Network $1,232.56 ↑ +2%
MultiPlan PHCS Commercial|All Plans $1,302.00 ↑ +8%
AMPS Commercial|All Plans $1,324.70 ↑ +10%
ELAP Commercial|All Plans $1,423.52 ↑ +18%
Medica Commercial|CHI Health $2,056.00 ↑ +71%
Medica Commercial|All Other Plans $2,415.00 ↑ +100%
United Commercial|All Plans $6,043.00 ↑ +401%

Visitor-reported prices

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Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other Nebraska hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
CHI Health St. Elizabeth Lincoln $539.50 $205.46 – $863.20
Ogallala Community Hospital Ogallala $189.51 $102.52 – $226.01
CHI Health Midlands Papillion $714.84 $34.02 – $586.30
CHI Health Schuyler Schuyler $1,242.70 $152.52 – $806.13
CHI Health Immanuel Omaha $714.84 $26.46 – $586.30
CHI Health St. Mary's Nebraska City $761.94 $169.44 – $759.36
Lasting Hope Recovery Center Omaha $714.84 $32.13 – $160.65
CHI Health Good Samaritan Kearney $1,088.24 $205.46 – $1,493.58

All Nebraska hospitals for this procedure →