Sputum specimen collection at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center

94 Old Short Hills Rd, Livingston, NJ · RWJBarnabas Health · · NPI 1396857488

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 4, 2026 · Ingested Sep 10, 2026

$74.80

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.

Full explanation →

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

$353.00

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.

$9.67 with Amerihealth vs $384.50 with Emblem Health — 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
Amerihealth Local Value $9.67 ↓ -87%
Amerihealth Regional Preferred $9.67 ↓ -87%
United Healthcare Community Plan $16.75 ↓ -78%
Fidelis Care NJ Family Care $17.07 ↓ -77%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Managed $22.21 ↓ -70%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Omnia $22.21 ↓ -70%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey State Benefit Plan $22.21 ↓ -70%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Non-Managed $22.21 ↓ -70%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey NJ Health $25.70 ↓ -66%
Aetna HMO $26.52 ↓ -65%
Aetna PPO $26.52 ↓ -65%
Aetna Better Health $61.21 ↓ -18%
United Healthcare Nexus $73.91 ↓ -1%
United Healthcare Oxford Metro $73.91 ↓ -1%
Cigna PPO $77.27 ↑ +3%
Cigna HMO $77.27 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial $78.93 ↑ +6%
United Healthcare Oxford Commercial $78.93 ↑ +6%
Humana Medicare $192.25 ↑ +157%
Aetna Medicare $192.25 ↑ +157%
Wellpoint Medicare Advantage $192.25 ↑ +157%
Clover Health Medicare Advantage $192.25 ↑ +157%
Fidelis Care Medicare Advantage $192.25 ↑ +157%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Medicare Advantage $192.25 ↑ +157%
United Healthcare Medicare $196.10 ↑ +162%
Wellpoint NJ Family Care $201.21 ↑ +169%
First Health Commercial $211.80 ↑ +183%
Qualcare Inc HMO/POS $271.10 ↑ +262%
Qualcare Inc PPO/WC $289.10 ↑ +286%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey PIP $300.05 ↑ +301%
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Worker's Comp $300.05 ↑ +301%
Wellcare Ambetter Health Commercial $382.58 ↑ +411%
Emblem Health Commercial $384.50 ↑ +414%

Visitor-reported prices

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Sputum specimen collection at other New-jersey hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Clara Maass Medical Center Belleville $103.82 $9.65 – $382.58
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark $73.52 $9.67 – $384.50
Bayshore Medical Center Holmdel $189.67 $189.67 – $770.00
Hackensack University Medical Center Hackensack $201.80 $23.30 – $794.00
Ocean University Medical Center Brick $187.28 $8.80 – $317.00
JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute (JRI) Edison $189.84 $8.80 – $317.00
Jersey Shore University Medical Center Neptune City $189.67 $35.95 – $604.00
Palisades Medical Center North Bergen $201.80 $25.70 – $444.00

All New-jersey hospitals for this procedure →