Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at Atrium Health Mercy

2001 Vail Ave, Charlotte, NC · Atrium Health · · NPI 1376985135

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Dec 4, 2025 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$1,180.38

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.

$2,360.75

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.

$51.08 with Partners vs $2,171.89 with Multiplan — 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
Partners Managed Medicaid $51.08 ↓ -96%
Wellcare Managed Medicaid $51.59 ↓ -96%
Amerihealth Caritas Managed Medicaid $51.59 ↓ -96%
Trillium Managed Medicaid $51.59 ↓ -96%
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid $51.59 ↓ -96%
Vaya Managed Medicaid $51.59 ↓ -96%
Carolina Complete Health Managed Medicaid $51.59 ↓ -96%
Healthy Blue Managed Medicaid $51.59 ↓ -96%
Alliance Managed Medicaid $52.10 ↓ -96%
Cigna Healthspring Medicare Advantage $54.30 ↓ -95%
Humana Medicare Advantage $55.39 ↓ -95%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $56.20 ↓ -95%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $56.36 ↓ -95%
Molina Managed Medicaid $59.57 ↓ -95%
Ortho Carolina Commercial $67.88 ↓ -94%
MedCost PPO $154.66 ↓ -87%
MedCost Ultra $154.66 ↓ -87%
Aetna North Carolina Preferred Plus Commercial $189.81 ↓ -84%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina HMO-PPO Managed Care $198.71 ↓ -83%
United Healthcare HMO-PPO Managed Care $199.60 ↓ -83%
Aetna Broad Network $209.41 ↓ -82%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Individual Commercial $424.23 ↓ -64%
Alliance Behavioral Health $519.84 ↓ -56%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Group Commercial $557.37 ↓ -53%
Aetna Connected North Carolina Individual HMO $625.60 ↓ -47%
Ambetter CoBranded Commercial $685.80 ↓ -42%
United Healthcare IEX Commercial $762.52 ↓ -35%
Aetna Whole Health HMO $807.38 ↓ -32%
Ambetter Individual Commercial $856.95 ↓ -27%
Cigna Commercial NB $1,022.20 ↓ -13%
Employers Health Network Commercial $1,043.45 ↓ -12%
Physician Reach Out Plan P $1,180.38 ↑ +0%
Cigna HMO-PPO Managed Care $1,222.87 ↑ +4%
Magellan Behavioral Health $1,416.45 ↑ +20%
Aetna First Health Commercial $1,440.06 ↑ +22%
Quik Trip Commercial $1,534.49 ↑ +30%
GMMI Commercial $1,534.49 ↑ +30%
Cigna Commercial SAR $1,593.51 ↑ +35%
Carolina Behavioral Health Employee Plan $1,699.74 ↑ +44%
ChoiceCare Commercial $1,699.74 ↑ +44%
Cigna Behavioral Health $1,888.60 ↑ +60%
Carolina Behavioral Health Commercial $1,888.60 ↑ +60%
Healthgram Commercial $1,888.60 ↑ +60%
Provider Select Commercial $1,912.21 ↑ +62%
Lifesynch Community Choice Care Behavioral Health $1,935.82 ↑ +64%
Private Health Care Systems Commercial $1,935.82 ↑ +64%
First Health Commercial $1,959.42 ↑ +66%
Beechstreet Commercial $2,124.68 ↑ +80%
Multiplan Commercial $2,171.89 ↑ +84%
Physician Reach Out Plan H not published by hospital
Broughton Cardinal Partners Commercial not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other North-carolina hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte Charlotte $1,180.38 $51.59 – $2,077.46
Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte $1,180.38 $51.08 – $2,171.89
Atrium Health University City Charlotte $1,180.38 $51.08 – $2,171.89
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte $1,180.38 $51.08 – $2,124.68
Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte Charlotte $1,180.38 $51.59 – $2,171.89
Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro $1,180.38 $51.08 – $2,242.71
Atrium Health Cabarrus Concord $1,180.38 $51.08 – $2,242.71
Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby $1,180.38 $51.08 – $2,242.71

All North-carolina hospitals for this procedure →