Crystal identification light microscopy at CENTENNIAL MEDICAL CENTER AT ASHLAND CITY

313 NORTH MAIN STREET, Ashland City, TN · Tristarhealth · · NPI 1265487193

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 1, 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.

Full explanation →

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.

$3.30 with Wellpoint vs $41.76 with BCBS — 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
Wellpoint MGMCD $3.30
Aetna NewBusiness $5.83
Aetna COMM $5.83
Bright Health SmallGroup $7.33
Bright Health HIX $7.33
Sarah Cannon Research COMM $7.33
United AllPayerAppendix $7.33
Humana ChoicecareMGMCR $7.33
United HeritageSelect $7.33
United CorePayer $7.33
WellCare MCR $7.55
Zing MGMCR $7.55
Ambetter Select $7.62
American Health Advantage MCRPOS $7.70
United VACCN $7.70
American Health Advantage MCRHMO $7.70
Devoted Health Plan MCR $7.70
American Health Advantage MCRPPO $7.70
American Health Advantage MCRSNP $7.70
American Health Advantage MCRPFFS $7.70
Evergreen HMO MCR $7.70
Healthspring MCRPPO $7.70
Healthspring MCRHMONonTMN $7.70
Healthspring MCRHMOTMN $7.70
Aetna MGMCRSNP $7.77
Aetna MGMCRHMO $7.77
Aetna MGMCRPPO $7.77
Ambetter CORE $7.91
ATRIO Golden Times MCR $8.06
Signature Advantage MCR $8.16
Bright Health MCRNarrow $8.85
BCBS NetworkP $9.76
Prime Health WORKERSCOMP $10.56
NovaNET WORKERSCOMP $10.78
CorVel Corporation WORKERSCOMP $10.78
Cigna NewBusiness $13.27
BCBS TENNCARE $14.45
Cigna OAP $15.07
BCBS COVERKIDS $15.61
Oscar HIX $21.99
Humana HumanaChoiceCare $29.32
Humana BroadNetwork $29.32
Humana HumanaChoice $29.32
Humana NarrowExchangeNetwork $29.32
BCBS BlueCare $41.76

Visitor-reported prices

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Crystal identification light microscopy at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Nashville $54.47 $2.64 – $28.22
CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson Hixson $86.44 $6.36 – $204.40
62-1166050 BMH Carroll County Huntingdon $14.72 $6.38 – $14.66
CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga Chattanooga $123.52 $6.36 – $204.40
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $12.60 $3.67 – $15.98
Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Smithville $54.47 $5.02 – $28.22
Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Sparta $54.47 $5.02 – $28.22
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park McMinnville $54.47 $5.02 – $28.22

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →