Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with contrast) at SOUTHERN HILLS MEDICAL CENTER

2127 CENTURY FARMS PKWY, ANTIOCH, TN · Tristarhealth · · NPI 1720032345

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 12, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

not published by hospital

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

not published by hospital

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.

$226.72 with Humana vs $5,691.54 with Prime Health — 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
Humana BroadNetwork $226.72
Humana HumanaChoice $226.72
Humana HumanaChoiceCare $226.72
Humana NarrowExchangeNetwork $226.72
BCBS TENNCARE $318.40
BCBS COVERKIDS $344.43
Aetna COMM $459.25
Aetna NewBusiness $459.25
BCBS BlueCare $532.67
United CorePayer $616.10
United AllPayerAppendix $616.10
United HeritageSelect $616.10
Kentucky Labor Cabinet WORKERSCOMP $1,190.70
Pruitt Health (AllyAlign) MCR $1,228.86
Apex Health MCR $1,228.86
NHC Advantage, Inc. MCRHMO $1,228.86
Humana TRICARE $1,616.91
United OptionsPPO $1,920.90
Cigna PPO $2,108.46
United GlobalBenefitPlan $2,910.45
Aetna NAP $3,233.83
BGFH SingleSource DIRECTNETWORK $3,233.83
Multiplan COMM $3,751.24
Employers Health Network COMM $4,527.36
BGFH SingleSource LEASEDNETWORK $5,497.51
Beech Street COMM $5,691.54
Prime Health COMMPPO $5,691.54

Visitor-reported prices

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) CT scan (with contrast) at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Nashville $812.40 $189.26 – $619.72
CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson Hixson $1,158.84 $157.26 – $2,740.50
62-1166050 BMH Carroll County Huntingdon $827.08 $200.25 – $652.20
CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga Chattanooga $1,656.05 $157.26 – $2,740.50
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $559.65 $232.29 – $709.70
Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Smithville $1,009.76 $148.75 – $619.72
Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Sparta $1,009.76 $148.75 – $619.72
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park McMinnville $961.67 $148.75 – $619.72

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →