Incision of achilles tendon at Sycamore Shoals Hospital

1501 W. ELK AVE., ELIZABETHTON, TN · Balladhealth · · NPI 1891801734

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 23, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$690.90

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.

$4,606.00

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.

$704.00 with BLUE CROSS vs $4,606.00 with UNITED HEALTHCARE — 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
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS BALLAD HEALTH EMPLOYEE $704.00 ↑ +2%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE CARE $890.00 ↑ +29%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP $1,246.75 ↑ +80%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA HMO $1,266.00 ↑ +83%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA OPEN ACCESS PLUS $1,266.00 ↑ +83%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA HEALTH $1,281.39 ↑ +85%
UNITED HEALTHCARE TENNCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $1,395.00 ↑ +102%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA PPO $1,406.00 ↑ +104%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA MEDICARE $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
AETNA AETNA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
MANAGED MEDICAIRE MANAGED MEDICAIRE $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP MEDICARE WELLPOINT $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA MEDICARE $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
ALLCARE MEDICARE ALLCARE MEDICARE $1,458.89 ↑ +111%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA INDIVIDUAL FAMILY PLAN $1,463.00 ↑ +112%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM MEDICARE VIRGINIA $1,502.66 ↑ +117%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS MEDICARE $1,517.25 ↑ +120%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $1,517.25 ↑ +120%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA MEDICARE $1,531.83 ↑ +122%
DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE $1,531.83 ↑ +122%
NHC ADVANTAGE NHC ADVANTAGE $1,531.83 ↑ +122%
WELLCARE WELLCARE MEDICARE $1,546.42 ↑ +124%
MEDCOST MEDCOST VHN $1,612.10 ↑ +133%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS E NETWORK $2,469.00 ↑ +257%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS P NETWORK $2,521.00 ↑ +265%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS S NETWORK $2,521.00 ↑ +265%
AETNA AETNA $2,938.63 ↑ +325%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HLTHKEEP MEDICIAD $3,008.33 ↑ +335%
OPTIMA HEALTH OPTIMA HEALTH MEDICAID $3,008.33 ↑ +335%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA $3,128.66 ↑ +353%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICAID $3,128.66 ↑ +353%
AMBETTER AMBETTER $3,180.38 ↑ +360%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE SELECT $3,313.00 ↑ +380%
FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY $3,454.50 ↑ +400%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE RIVER VALLEY $3,781.00 ↑ +447%
WELLCARE WELLCARE MEDICAID $4,606.00 ↑ +567%
SEVEN CORNERS, INC. SEVEN CORNERS, INC. $4,606.00 ↑ +567%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $4,606.00 ↑ +567%

Visitor-reported prices

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Incision of achilles tendon at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $690.90 $1,282.30 – $3,271.06
Hancock County Hospital SNEEDVILLE $678.04 $1,898.91 – $3,158.75
Greeneville Community Hospital GREENEVILLE $690.90 $1,146.67 – $3,271.06
Bristol Regional Medical Center BRISTOL $690.90 $1,525.42 – $3,661.02
Franklin Woods Community Hospital JOHNSON CITY $690.90 $1,127.71 – $3,182.74
Holston Valley Medical Center KINGSPORT $690.90 $1,525.42 – $3,661.02
Indian Path Community Hospital KINGSPORT $690.90 $1,246.75 – $3,501.34
Hawkins County Memorial Hospital ROGERSVILLE $690.90 $1,458.89 – $3,180.38

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →