Smear fluorescent and/or acid fast stain at Hackensack University Medical Center

30 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, NJ · Hackensack Meridian Health · · NPI 1457456279

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Dec 31, 2025 · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$5.39

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.

$94.00

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.

$4.31 with OPTUM HEALTH vs $91.00 with AMERIHEALTH — 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
OPTUM HEALTH MANAGED MEDICAID $4.31 ↓ -20%
HORIZON BCBS BRAVEN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.39 ↑ +0%
OPTUM HEALTH MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.39 ↑ +0%
AMERIGROUP MANAGED MEDICAID $5.39 ↑ +0%
VACCN ALL PRODUCTS $5.39 ↑ +0%
SEOUL MEDICAL GROUP ALL PRODUCTS $5.39 ↑ +0%
WELLCARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.39 ↑ +0%
WELLCARE MANAGED MEDICAID $5.39 ↑ +0%
HORIZON MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.39 ↑ +0%
CLOVER MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.39 ↑ +0%
AETNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.39 ↑ +0%
UNITED COMMUNITY/AMERICHOICE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $5.66 ↑ +5%
HORIZON MANAGED MEDICAID $6.24 ↑ +16%
LHP HEALTH ALL PRODUCTS $6.74 ↑ +25%
KARNA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE $7.17 ↑ +33%
AETNA MANAGED MEDICAID $22.84 ↑ +324%
CIGNA HMO $24.20 ↑ +349%
CIGNA PPO $24.20 ↑ +349%
OXFORD ALL PRODUCTS $45.50 ↑ +744%
UNITED HEALTHCARE HMO $51.42 ↑ +854%
HORIZON OMNIA $59.60 ↑ +1006%
HORIZON WORKERS COMP $62.66 ↑ +1063%
INTERGROUP ALL PRODUCTS $63.70 ↑ +1082%
BERGEN RISK ALL PRODUCTS $68.25 ↑ +1166%
HORIZON PIP $68.25 ↑ +1166%
BRIGHTON HEALTH PLAN ALL PRODUCTS $71.89 ↑ +1234%
CIGNA BH $72.80 ↑ +1251%
AETNA PPO $73.83 ↑ +1270%
AETNA ASA $73.83 ↑ +1270%
AETNA HMO $73.83 ↑ +1270%
CHN ALL PRODUCTS $77.35 ↑ +1335%
MULTIPLAN - PHCS ALL PRODUCTS $77.35 ↑ +1335%
ACTIVECARE FIRST MCO ALL PRODUCTS $77.35 ↑ +1335%
QUALCARE WORKERS COMP $80.26 ↑ +1389%
QUALCARE PPO $80.26 ↑ +1389%
QUALCARE HMO $80.26 ↑ +1389%
HORIZON HMO $86.67 ↑ +1508%
HORIZON INDEMNITY $87.11 ↑ +1516%
HORIZON SHP $87.67 ↑ +1527%
HORIZON PPO $88.74 ↑ +1546%
HORIZON FEDERAL $88.74 ↑ +1546%
AMERIHEALTH REGIONAL HMO $91.00 ↑ +1588%
AMERIHEALTH LOCAL HMO $91.00 ↑ +1588%

Visitor-reported prices

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Smear fluorescent and/or acid fast stain at other New-jersey hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Trinitas Regional Medical Center Elizabeth $5.93 $2.53 – $21.37
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center Livingston $5.93 $2.53 – $21.37
Community Medical Center Toms River $5.93 $2.53 – $21.37
Clara Maass Medical Center Belleville $5.93 $2.53 – $21.37
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark $5.93 $2.53 – $21.37
Jersey City Medical Center Jersey City $5.93 $2.53 – $21.37
Monmouth Medical Center Long Branch $5.93 $2.53 – $21.37
Bayshore Medical Center Holmdel $5.39 $5.39 – $24.70

All New-jersey hospitals for this procedure →