Sputum specimen collection at University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center

1025 Center St, Ashland, OH · University Hospitals · · NPI 1902882939

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jul 14, 2026 · Ingested Aug 13, 2026

$337.50

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.

$450.00

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.

$154.35 with Medical Mutual of Ohio vs $409.50 with United Healthcare — 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
Medical Mutual of Ohio Northern Ohio Commercial $154.35 ↓ -54%
Devoted Health Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
Cigna Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
The Health Plan Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
Anthem Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
SummaCare Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
Primetime Health Plan Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
Molina Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
WellCare by AllWell Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
Humana Medicare Advantage $165.22 ↓ -51%
Paramount Medicare Advantage $170.18 ↓ -50%
Valor Health Plans Medicare Advantage $173.49 ↓ -49%
Perennial Advantage of Ohio Medicare Advantage $173.49 ↓ -49%
University Health Employee Plan (Contigo) Commercial $180.00 ↓ -47%
Buckeye Plain Ministries Fund $207.00 ↓ -39%
Amish Aid Community Plan Fund $207.00 ↓ -39%
Amish Church Fund and Workers Aid Plan Fund $207.00 ↓ -39%
Sunrise Plain Communities Fund $225.00 ↓ -33%
Christian Healthcare Ministries Fund $225.00 ↓ -33%
Immergrun Commercial $225.00 ↓ -33%
Cigna PPO Commercial $249.75 ↓ -26%
Ambetter Commercial $297.40 ↓ -12%
CareSource Marketplace $297.40 ↓ -12%
Medical Mutual Traditional/Health Ohio Commercial $315.00 ↓ -7%
Medical Mutual of Ohio MedFlex Commercial $358.65 ↑ +6%
Ohio Preferred Network Commercial $360.00 ↑ +7%
Beech Street Commercial $360.00 ↑ +7%
Anthem Pathway Commercial $364.95 ↑ +8%
First Health Commercial $373.50 ↑ +11%
Century Health Network Commercial $382.50 ↑ +13%
Ohio Health Choice Preferred Health Choice Plus Commercial $382.50 ↑ +13%
Aetna Commercial $383.40 ↑ +14%
Aetna OPN Commercial $386.10 ↑ +14%
Private Healthcare System Commercial $387.00 ↑ +15%
Cigna OAP Commercial $389.70 ↑ +15%
The Health Plan Commercial $396.00 ↑ +17%
Medical Mutual of Ohio SuperMed Commercial $398.25 ↑ +18%
JP Farley Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
AultCare Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
Ohio Health Choice Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
HealthSmart Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
Medical Mutual of Ohio NAS Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
Fortified Provider Network Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
MultiPlan Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
Anthem Commercial $406.35 ↑ +20%
SummaCare Commercial $409.50 ↑ +21%
United Healthcare Nexus Commercial $409.50 ↑ +21%
United Healthcare Commercial $409.50 ↑ +21%
Humana Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
CareSource Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Buckeye Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Molina Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Amerihealth Caritas Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Aetna (Ohio Rise) Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Sputum specimen collection at other Ohio hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Jewish Hospital Cincinnati $334.80 not published
Anderson Hospital Cincinnati $334.80 not published
Clermont Hospital Batavia $334.80 not published
Kings Mills Hospital Mason $334.80 not published
Mercy West Hospital Cincinnati $334.80 not published
cleveland clinic main campus Cleveland $768.30 $6.62 – $1,063.80
avon hospital Avon $768.30 $0.95 – $1,063.80
cleveland clinic childrens hospital for rehabilitation Cleveland $768.30 $84.42 – $1,063.80

All Ohio hospitals for this procedure →