Drain thigh/knee lesion 27301 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

$2,469.15

Cash price

?

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.

$4,938.30

Gross charge

?

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.

$75.38 with Molina vs $4,543.24 with Multiplan — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
?

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
?

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
Molina Managed Medicaid $75.38 ↓ -97%
Partners Managed Medicaid $358.19 ↓ -85%
Vaya Managed Medicaid $361.77 ↓ -85%
Wellcare Managed Medicaid $361.77 ↓ -85%
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid $361.77 ↓ -85%
Amerihealth Caritas Managed Medicaid $361.77 ↓ -85%
Healthy Blue Managed Medicaid $361.77 ↓ -85%
Carolina Complete Health Managed Medicaid $361.77 ↓ -85%
Trillium Managed Medicaid $361.77 ↓ -85%
Alliance Managed Medicaid $365.35 ↓ -85%
Cigna Healthspring Medicare Advantage $472.02 ↓ -81%
Humana Medicare Advantage $481.46 ↓ -81%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $488.54 ↓ -80%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $489.89 ↓ -80%
Ortho Carolina Commercial $590.03 ↓ -76%
Alliance Behavioral Health $1,087.41 ↓ -56%
Aetna Connected North Carolina Individual HMO $1,308.65 ↓ -47%
Ambetter CoBranded Commercial $1,434.58 ↓ -42%
United Healthcare IEX Commercial $1,595.07 ↓ -35%
Aetna Whole Health HMO $1,688.90 ↓ -32%
Ambetter Individual Commercial $1,792.60 ↓ -27%
Aetna North Carolina Preferred Plus Commercial $2,009.89 ↓ -19%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Group Commercial $2,038.53 ↓ -17%
Cigna Commercial NB $2,138.28 ↓ -13%
Employers Health Network Commercial $2,182.73 ↓ -12%
United Healthcare HMO-PPO Managed Care $2,237.05 ↓ -9%
Aetna Broad Network $2,261.74 ↓ -8%
MedCost Ultra $2,419.77 ↓ -2%
Physician Reach Out Plan P $2,469.15 ↑ +0%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina HMO-PPO Managed Care $2,682.48 ↑ +9%
Cigna HMO-PPO Managed Care $2,790.14 ↑ +13%
MedCost PPO $2,869.15 ↑ +16%
Magellan Behavioral Health $2,962.98 ↑ +20%
Aetna First Health Commercial $3,012.36 ↑ +22%
Quik Trip Commercial $3,209.90 ↑ +30%
GMMI Commercial $3,209.90 ↑ +30%
Cigna Commercial SAR $3,333.35 ↑ +35%
Carolina Behavioral Health Employee Plan $3,555.58 ↑ +44%
ChoiceCare Commercial $3,555.58 ↑ +44%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Individual Commercial $3,745.70 ↑ +52%
Cigna Behavioral Health $3,950.64 ↑ +60%
Carolina Behavioral Health Commercial $3,950.64 ↑ +60%
Healthgram Commercial $3,950.64 ↑ +60%
Provider Select Commercial $4,000.02 ↑ +62%
Lifesynch Community Choice Care Behavioral Health $4,049.41 ↑ +64%
Private Health Care Systems Commercial $4,049.41 ↑ +64%
First Health Commercial $4,098.79 ↑ +66%
Beechstreet Commercial $4,444.47 ↑ +80%
Multiplan Commercial $4,543.24 ↑ +84%
Physician Reach Out Plan H not published by hospital
Broughton Cardinal Partners Commercial not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Drain thigh/knee lesion 27301 at other North-carolina hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte Charlotte $2,469.15 $361.77 – $4,345.70
Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte $2,469.15 $358.19 – $4,543.24
Atrium Health University City Charlotte $2,469.15 $358.19 – $4,543.24
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte $2,469.15 $75.38 – $4,444.47
Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte Charlotte $2,469.15 $361.77 – $4,543.24
Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro $2,469.15 $358.19 – $4,691.39
Atrium Health Cabarrus Concord $2,469.15 $358.19 – $4,691.39
Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby $2,469.15 $358.19 – $4,691.39

All North-carolina hospitals for this procedure →