Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) X-ray (3 views) at University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center

3999 Richmond Road, Beachwood, OH · University Hospitals · · NPI 1609189604

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

$606.00

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.

$808.00

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.

$71.33 with Aetna vs $727.20 with Ohio Health Choice — 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
Aetna OPN Commercial $71.33 ↓ -88%
Aetna Commercial $79.26 ↓ -87%
WellCare by AllWell Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Medical Mutual of Ohio Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Humana Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Anthem Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
The Health Plan Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
SummaCare Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Primetime Health Plan Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Molina Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Cigna Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Devoted Health Medicare Advantage $98.91 ↓ -84%
Paramount Medicare Advantage $101.88 ↓ -83%
Valor Health Plans Medicare Advantage $103.85 ↓ -83%
Perennial Advantage of Ohio Medicare Advantage $103.85 ↓ -83%
University Health Employee Plan (Contigo) Commercial $161.25 ↓ -73%
Ambetter Commercial $178.03 ↓ -71%
CareSource Marketplace $178.03 ↓ -71%
Medical Mutual of Ohio Northern Ohio Commercial $178.57 ↓ -71%
Medical Mutual of Ohio MedFlex Commercial $328.05 ↓ -46%
Medical Mutual of Ohio SuperMed Commercial $364.41 ↓ -40%
Amish Church Fund and Workers Aid Plan Fund $371.68 ↓ -39%
Amish Aid Community Plan Fund $371.68 ↓ -39%
Buckeye Plain Ministries Fund $371.68 ↓ -39%
JP Farley Commercial $387.84 ↓ -36%
Medical Mutual of Ohio NAS Commercial $400.77 ↓ -34%
Sunrise Plan Communities Fund $404.00 ↓ -33%
Christian Healthcare Ministries Fund $404.00 ↓ -33%
Immergrun Commercial $404.00 ↓ -33%
SummaCare Commercial $412.08 ↓ -32%
Anthem Pathway Commercial $433.90 ↓ -28%
AultCare Commercial $444.40 ↓ -27%
Cigna PPO Commercial $448.44 ↓ -26%
Anthem Commercial $478.34 ↓ -21%
United Healthcare Nexus Commercial $479.95 ↓ -21%
Cigna OAP Commercial $482.38 ↓ -20%
Anthem Traditional $513.89 ↓ -15%
Ohio Health Choice Preferred Health Choice Plus Commercial $525.20 ↓ -13%
HealthSmart Commercial $525.20 ↓ -13%
The Health Plan Commercial $533.28 ↓ -12%
United Healthcare Commercial $545.40 ↓ -10%
Medical Mutual Traditional/Health Ohio Commercial $565.60 ↓ -7%
Ohio Preferred Network Commercial $646.40 ↑ +7%
Beech Street Commercial $646.40 ↑ +7%
First Health Commercial $670.64 ↑ +11%
Century Health Network Commercial $686.80 ↑ +13%
Private Healthcare System Commercial $694.88 ↑ +15%
MultiPlan Commercial $727.20 ↑ +20%
Fortified Provider Network Commercial $727.20 ↑ +20%
Ohio Health Choice Commercial $727.20 ↑ +20%
Amerihealth Caritas Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Aetna (Ohio Rise) Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Buckeye Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
CareSource Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Molina Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Humana Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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Upper Back (Thoracic Spine) X-ray (3 views) at other Ohio hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
University Hospitals Beachwood Medical Center Beachwood $606.00 $98.91 – $727.20
Jewish Hospital Cincinnati $381.60 not published
Anderson Hospital Cincinnati $381.60 not published
Clermont Hospital Batavia $381.60 not published
Kings Mills Hospital Mason $238.20 not published
Mercy West Hospital Cincinnati $381.60 not published
St Ritas Medical Center Lima $499.20 not published
Trinity Medical Center East Steubenville $389.81 $396.00 – $508.20

All Ohio hospitals for this procedure →