Sputum specimen collection at University Hospitals St. John Medical Center

29000 Center Ridge Road, Westlake OH, OH · University Hospitals · · NPI 1841264868

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.

$15.15 with Anthem vs $405.00 with Fortified Provider Network — 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
Anthem Commercial $15.15 ↓ -96%
Cigna OAP Commercial $40.20 ↓ -88%
Aetna Commercial $42.30 ↓ -87%
United Healthcare Nexus Commercial $56.00 ↓ -83%
United Healthcare Commercial $62.00 ↓ -82%
Medical Mutual of Ohio Northern Ohio Commercial $110.25 ↓ -67%
Medical Mutual of Ohio MedFlex Commercial $136.80 ↓ -59%
Medical Mutual of Ohio SuperMed Commercial $152.10 ↓ -55%
Medical Mutual of Ohio NAS Commercial $167.40 ↓ -50%
WellCare by AllWell Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Anthem Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Cigna Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Devoted Health Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Humana Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Molina Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Primetime Health Plan Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
SummaCare Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
The Health Plan Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $174.06 ↓ -48%
Paramount Medicare Advantage $179.28 ↓ -47%
University Health Employee Plan (Contigo) Commercial $180.00 ↓ -47%
Perennial Advantage of Ohio Medicare Advantage $182.76 ↓ -46%
Valor Health Plans Medicare Advantage $182.76 ↓ -46%
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%
JP Farley Commercial $211.50 ↓ -37%
Immergrun Commercial $225.00 ↓ -33%
Christian Healthcare Ministries Fund $225.00 ↓ -33%
Sunrise Plan Communities Fund $225.00 ↓ -33%
Anthem Traditional Commercial $227.25 ↓ -33%
SummaCare Commercial $229.50 ↓ -32%
AultCare Commercial $247.50 ↓ -27%
Cigna PPO Commercial $249.75 ↓ -26%
Ohio Health Choice Preferred Health Choice Plus Commercial $292.50 ↓ -13%
HealthSmart Commercial $292.50 ↓ -13%
The Health Plan Commercial $297.00 ↓ -12%
CareSource Marketplace $313.31 ↓ -7%
Ambetter Commercial $313.31 ↓ -7%
Medical Mutual Traditional/Health Ohio Commercial $315.00 ↓ -7%
Ohio Preferred Network Commercial $360.00 ↑ +7%
Beech Street Commercial $360.00 ↑ +7%
First Health Commercial $373.50 ↑ +11%
Century Health Network Commercial $382.50 ↑ +13%
Private Healthcare System Commercial $387.00 ↑ +15%
Ohio Health Choice Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
MultiPlan Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
Fortified Provider Network Commercial $405.00 ↑ +20%
Aetna (Ohio Rise) Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
CareSource Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Humana Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Molina Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Amerihealth Caritas Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Buckeye 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 →