Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center
1025 Center St, Ashland, OH · University Hospitals · · NPI 1902882939
$1,287.00
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.
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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.
$1,716.00
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.
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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$588.59 with Medical Mutual of Ohio vs $1,561.56 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 →
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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 ?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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Mutual of Ohio | Northern Ohio Commercial | $588.59 | ↓ -54% |
| Devoted Health | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| Cigna | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| The Health Plan | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| Anthem | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| SummaCare | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| Primetime Health Plan | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| Molina | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| United Healthcare | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| Aetna | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| WellCare by AllWell | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| Humana | Medicare Advantage | $608.36 | ↓ -53% |
| Paramount | Medicare Advantage | $626.61 | ↓ -51% |
| Valor Health Plans | Medicare Advantage | $638.78 | ↓ -50% |
| Perennial Advantage of Ohio | Medicare Advantage | $638.78 | ↓ -50% |
| University Health Employee Plan (Contigo) | Commercial | $686.40 | ↓ -47% |
| Buckeye Plain Ministries | Fund | $789.36 | ↓ -39% |
| Amish Aid Community Plan | Fund | $789.36 | ↓ -39% |
| Amish Church Fund and Workers Aid Plan | Fund | $789.36 | ↓ -39% |
| Sunrise Plain Communities | Fund | $858.00 | ↓ -33% |
| Christian Healthcare Ministries | Fund | $858.00 | ↓ -33% |
| Immergrun | Commercial | $858.00 | ↓ -33% |
| Cigna | PPO Commercial | $952.38 | ↓ -26% |
| Ambetter | Commercial | $1,095.05 | ↓ -15% |
| CareSource | Marketplace | $1,095.05 | ↓ -15% |
| Medical Mutual Traditional/Health Ohio | Commercial | $1,201.20 | ↓ -7% |
| Medical Mutual of Ohio | MedFlex Commercial | $1,367.65 | ↑ +6% |
| Ohio Preferred Network | Commercial | $1,372.80 | ↑ +7% |
| Beech Street | Commercial | $1,372.80 | ↑ +7% |
| Anthem | Pathway Commercial | $1,391.68 | ↑ +8% |
| First Health | Commercial | $1,424.28 | ↑ +11% |
| Century Health Network | Commercial | $1,458.60 | ↑ +13% |
| Ohio Health Choice | Preferred Health Choice Plus Commercial | $1,458.60 | ↑ +13% |
| Aetna | Commercial | $1,462.03 | ↑ +14% |
| Aetna | OPN Commercial | $1,472.33 | ↑ +14% |
| Private Healthcare System | Commercial | $1,475.76 | ↑ +15% |
| Cigna | OAP Commercial | $1,486.06 | ↑ +15% |
| The Health Plan | Commercial | $1,510.08 | ↑ +17% |
| Medical Mutual of Ohio | SuperMed Commercial | $1,518.66 | ↑ +18% |
| JP Farley | Commercial | $1,544.40 | ↑ +20% |
| AultCare | Commercial | $1,544.40 | ↑ +20% |
| Ohio Health Choice | Commercial | $1,544.40 | ↑ +20% |
| HealthSmart | Commercial | $1,544.40 | ↑ +20% |
| Medical Mutual of Ohio | NAS Commercial | $1,544.40 | ↑ +20% |
| Fortified Provider Network | Commercial | $1,544.40 | ↑ +20% |
| MultiPlan | Commercial | $1,544.40 | ↑ +20% |
| Anthem | Commercial | $1,549.55 | ↑ +20% |
| SummaCare | Commercial | $1,561.56 | ↑ +21% |
| United Healthcare | Nexus Commercial | $1,561.56 | ↑ +21% |
| United Healthcare | Commercial | $1,561.56 | ↑ +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
Comments
Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other Ohio hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Hospital | Cincinnati | $3,819.66 | $611.32 – $623.55 |
| Anderson Hospital | Cincinnati | $14,692.56 | $611.32 – $1,641.71 |
| Clermont Hospital | Batavia | $5,952.00 | $611.32 – $623.55 |
| Kings Mills Hospital | Mason | $3,651.00 | $611.32 – $623.55 |
| Mercy West Hospital | Cincinnati | $12,359.28 | $621.93 – $634.37 |
| St Ritas Medical Center | Lima | $11,522.31 | $621.93 – $634.37 |
| Trinity Medical Center East | Steubenville | $1,136.18 | $192.85 – $1,469.93 |
| cleveland clinic main campus | Cleveland | $1,848.60 | $0.01 – $2,559.60 |