Carotene at Johnson County Community Hospital

1901 S. SHADY ST., MOUNTAIN CITY, TN · Balladhealth · · NPI 1497859789

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

$15.87

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.

$69.00

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.

$6.19 with OPTIMA HEALTH vs $69.00 with SEVEN CORNERS, INC. — 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
OPTIMA HEALTH OPTIMA HEALTH MEDICAID $6.19 ↓ -61%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICAID VIRGINIA $6.38 ↓ -60%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HLTHKEEP MEDICIAD $6.38 ↓ -60%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA $6.44 ↓ -59%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICAID $6.44 ↓ -59%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE RIVER VALLEY $9.22 ↓ -42%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $9.22 ↓ -42%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE SELECT $9.22 ↓ -42%
UNITED HEALTHCARE TENNCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $11.75 ↓ -26%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP $19.31 ↑ +22%
ALLCARE MEDICARE ALLCARE MEDICARE $20.01 ↑ +26%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $20.01 ↑ +26%
WELLCARE WELLCARE MEDICARE $20.01 ↑ +26%
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA $20.01 ↑ +26%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA MEDICARE $20.01 ↑ +26%
AETNA AETNA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $20.01 ↑ +26%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA MEDICARE $20.01 ↑ +26%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP MEDICARE WELLPOINT $20.01 ↑ +26%
MANAGED MEDICAIRE MANAGED MEDICAIRE $20.01 ↑ +26%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA INDIVIDUAL FAMILY PLAN $20.21 ↑ +27%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $20.33 ↑ +28%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM MEDICARE VIRGINIA $20.61 ↑ +30%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $20.81 ↑ +31%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA MEDICARE $21.01 ↑ +32%
NHC ADVANTAGE NHC ADVANTAGE $21.01 ↑ +32%
DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE $21.01 ↑ +32%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE CARE $21.81 ↑ +37%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE SELECT $21.81 ↑ +37%
AMBETTER AMBETTER $22.08 ↑ +39%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA HEALTH $23.41 ↑ +48%
MEDCOST MEDCOST VHN $24.15 ↑ +52%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS BALLAD HEALTH EMPLOYEE $30.19 ↑ +90%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA OPEN ACCESS PLUS $36.01 ↑ +127%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA PPO $36.01 ↑ +127%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA HMO $36.01 ↑ +127%
AETNA AETNA $44.02 ↑ +177%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS E NETWORK $51.45 ↑ +224%
FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY $51.75 ↑ +226%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS MEDICARE $51.93 ↑ +227%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS P NETWORK $52.46 ↑ +231%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS S NETWORK $52.46 ↑ +231%
SEVEN CORNERS, INC. SEVEN CORNERS, INC. $69.00 ↑ +335%

Visitor-reported prices

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Carotene at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Nashville $82.01 $3.32 – $36.12
CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson Hixson $15.40 $8.19 – $36.40
CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga Chattanooga $22.00 $8.19 – $36.40
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $16.20 $4.61 – $20.10
Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Smithville $82.01 $6.46 – $36.12
Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Sparta $82.01 $6.46 – $36.12
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park McMinnville $82.01 $6.46 – $36.12
Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Murfreesboro $82.01 $8.30 – $36.12

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →