Tissue culture skin/biopsy 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

$128.34

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.

$558.00

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.

$140.73 with UNITED HEALTHCARE vs $558.00 with BLUE CROSS — 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
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE RIVER VALLEY $140.73 ↑ +10%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $140.73 ↑ +10%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE SELECT $140.73 ↑ +10%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $161.82 ↑ +26%
WELLCARE WELLCARE MEDICARE $161.82 ↑ +26%
MANAGED MEDICAIRE MANAGED MEDICAIRE $161.82 ↑ +26%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA MEDICARE $161.82 ↑ +26%
AETNA AETNA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $161.82 ↑ +26%
ALLCARE MEDICARE ALLCARE MEDICARE $161.82 ↑ +26%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP MEDICARE WELLPOINT $161.82 ↑ +26%
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA $161.82 ↑ +26%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA MEDICARE $161.82 ↑ +26%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $164.41 ↑ +28%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM MEDICARE VIRGINIA $166.67 ↑ +30%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $168.29 ↑ +31%
NHC ADVANTAGE NHC ADVANTAGE $169.91 ↑ +32%
DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE $169.91 ↑ +32%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA MEDICARE $169.91 ↑ +32%
AMBETTER AMBETTER $178.56 ↑ +39%
UNITED HEALTHCARE TENNCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $179.40 ↑ +40%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE SELECT $183.33 ↑ +43%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE CARE $183.33 ↑ +43%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA HEALTH $189.33 ↑ +48%
MEDCOST MEDCOST VHN $195.30 ↑ +52%
OPTIMA HEALTH OPTIMA HEALTH MEDICAID $229.23 ↑ +79%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HLTHKEEP MEDICIAD $236.11 ↑ +84%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICAID VIRGINIA $236.11 ↑ +84%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA $238.40 ↑ +86%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICAID $238.40 ↑ +86%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP $294.49 ↑ +129%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA INDIVIDUAL FAMILY PLAN $310.37 ↑ +142%
AETNA AETNA $356.00 ↑ +177%
FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY $418.50 ↑ +226%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS MEDICARE $419.95 ↑ +227%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA HMO $555.26 ↑ +333%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA OPEN ACCESS PLUS $555.26 ↑ +333%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA PPO $555.26 ↑ +333%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS E NETWORK $558.00 ↑ +335%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS BALLAD HEALTH EMPLOYEE $558.00 ↑ +335%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS S NETWORK $558.00 ↑ +335%
SEVEN CORNERS, INC. SEVEN CORNERS, INC. $558.00 ↑ +335%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS P NETWORK $558.00 ↑ +335%

Visitor-reported prices

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Tissue culture skin/biopsy at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Nashville $430.02 $50.66 – $545.18
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $130.95 $70.37 – $306.79
Hancock County Hospital SNEEDVILLE $128.34 $99.67 – $310.37
Greeneville Community Hospital GREENEVILLE $130.95 $63.33 – $306.79
Bristol Regional Medical Center BRISTOL $130.95 $70.37 – $337.75
Franklin Woods Community Hospital JOHNSON CITY $130.95 $70.37 – $306.79
Holston Valley Medical Center KINGSPORT $130.95 $70.37 – $337.75
62-0123940 BMH Collierville Collierville $523.32 $133.69 – $281.46

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →