Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (with contrast) 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

$1,607.09

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.

$1,607.09

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.

$295.87 with Kentucky Labor Cabinet vs $2,000.00 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
Kentucky Labor Cabinet WORKERSCOMP $295.87 ↓ -82%
Apex Health MCR $305.35 ↓ -81%
Pruitt Health (AllyAlign) MCR $305.35 ↓ -81%
NHC Advantage, Inc. MCRHMO $305.35 ↓ -81%
Humana NarrowExchangeNetwork $331.56 ↓ -79%
Humana BroadNetwork $331.56 ↓ -79%
Humana HumanaChoice $331.56 ↓ -79%
Humana HumanaChoiceCare $331.56 ↓ -79%
BCBS TENNCARE $350.20 ↓ -78%
BCBS COVERKIDS $380.65 ↓ -76%
United OptionsPPO $392.13 ↓ -76%
Humana TRICARE $401.77 ↓ -75%
Amerigroup MGMCR $498.20 ↓ -69%
Cigna PPO $501.41 ↓ -69%
United CorePayer $616.10 ↓ -62%
United HeritageSelect $616.10 ↓ -62%
United AllPayerAppendix $616.10 ↓ -62%
United GlobalBenefitPlan $723.19 ↓ -55%
Aetna NewBusiness $756.19 ↓ -53%
Aetna COMM $756.19 ↓ -53%
Aetna NAP $803.54 ↓ -50%
BGFH SingleSource DIRECTNETWORK $803.54 ↓ -50%
Multiplan COMM $883.90 ↓ -45%
Southern Health Partners Prison $964.25 ↓ -40%
BCBS BlueCare $1,012.53 ↓ -37%
Employers Health Network COMM $1,124.96 ↓ -30%
BGFH SingleSource LEASEDNETWORK $1,366.03 ↓ -15%
Beech Street COMM $1,478.52 ↓ -8%
BCBS MCR $2,000.00 ↑ +24%

Visitor-reported prices

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

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Nashville $1,152.21 $256.45 – $865.43
CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson Hixson $1,565.25 $278.75 – $3,701.60
62-1166050 BMH Carroll County Huntingdon $1,020.74 $283.71 – $652.20
CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga Chattanooga $2,236.83 $278.75 – $3,701.60
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $636.75 $325.55 – $709.70
Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Smithville $1,013.60 $215.74 – $865.43
Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Sparta $1,013.60 $215.74 – $865.43
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park McMinnville $965.33 $215.74 – $865.43

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →