X-ray lumbosacral spine >= 4 views 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

$430.23

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.

$860.45

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.

$11.92 with Cigna Healthspring vs $791.61 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
Cigna Healthspring Medicare Advantage $11.92 ↓ -97%
Humana Medicare Advantage $12.16 ↓ -97%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $12.34 ↓ -97%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $12.37 ↓ -97%
Partners Managed Medicaid $12.65 ↓ -97%
Healthy Blue Managed Medicaid $12.78 ↓ -97%
Wellcare Managed Medicaid $12.78 ↓ -97%
Trillium Managed Medicaid $12.78 ↓ -97%
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid $12.78 ↓ -97%
Amerihealth Caritas Managed Medicaid $12.78 ↓ -97%
Vaya Managed Medicaid $12.78 ↓ -97%
Carolina Complete Health Managed Medicaid $12.78 ↓ -97%
Alliance Managed Medicaid $12.90 ↓ -97%
Ortho Carolina Commercial $14.90 ↓ -97%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina HMO-PPO Managed Care $37.96 ↓ -91%
Molina Managed Medicaid $51.15 ↓ -88%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Group Commercial $73.03 ↓ -83%
Aetna Broad Network $80.40 ↓ -81%
United Healthcare HMO-PPO Managed Care $82.09 ↓ -81%
MedCost PPO $85.14 ↓ -80%
MedCost Ultra $85.14 ↓ -80%
Aetna North Carolina Preferred Plus Commercial $97.32 ↓ -77%
ChoiceCare Commercial $107.65 ↓ -75%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Local Individual Commercial $107.65 ↓ -75%
Alliance Behavioral Health $189.47 ↓ -56%
Aetna Connected North Carolina Individual HMO $228.02 ↓ -47%
Ambetter CoBranded Commercial $249.96 ↓ -42%
Aetna Whole Health HMO $294.27 ↓ -32%
Ambetter Individual Commercial $312.34 ↓ -27%
United Healthcare IEX Commercial $345.90 ↓ -20%
Cigna Commercial NB $372.57 ↓ -13%
Employers Health Network Commercial $380.32 ↓ -12%
Physician Reach Out Plan P $430.23 ↑ +0%
Cigna HMO-PPO Managed Care $445.71 ↑ +4%
Magellan Behavioral Health $516.27 ↑ +20%
Aetna First Health Commercial $524.87 ↑ +22%
GMMI Commercial $559.29 ↑ +30%
Quik Trip Commercial $559.29 ↑ +30%
Cigna Commercial SAR $580.80 ↑ +35%
Carolina Behavioral Health Employee Plan $619.52 ↑ +44%
Cigna Behavioral Health $688.36 ↑ +60%
Carolina Behavioral Health Commercial $688.36 ↑ +60%
Healthgram Commercial $688.36 ↑ +60%
Provider Select Commercial $696.96 ↑ +62%
Lifesynch Community Choice Care Behavioral Health $705.57 ↑ +64%
Private Health Care Systems Commercial $705.57 ↑ +64%
First Health Commercial $714.17 ↑ +66%
Beechstreet Commercial $774.41 ↑ +80%
Multiplan Commercial $791.61 ↑ +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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X-ray lumbosacral spine >= 4 views at other North-carolina hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Atrium Health Behavioral Health Charlotte Charlotte $430.23 $11.92 – $757.20
Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte $430.23 $11.92 – $791.61
Atrium Health University City Charlotte $430.23 $11.92 – $791.61
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center Charlotte $430.23 $11.92 – $774.41
Carolinas Rehabilitation Charlotte Charlotte $430.23 $11.92 – $791.61
Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro $430.23 $11.92 – $817.43
Atrium Health Cabarrus Concord $430.23 $11.92 – $817.43
Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby $430.23 $11.92 – $817.43

All North-carolina hospitals for this procedure →