Contrast x-ray of brain at SKYLINE MADISON CAMPUS

3441 DICKERSON PIKE, NASHVILLE, TN · Tristarhealth · · NPI 1295780476

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 12, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$1,353.64

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.

$1,353.64

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.

$51.42 with BCBS vs $1,326.57 with TriWest 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
BCBS TENNCARE $51.42 ↓ -96%
BCBS COVERKIDS $55.64 ↓ -96%
BCBS NetworkP $82.47 ↓ -94%
BCBS BlueCare $102.06 ↓ -92%
Humana NarrowExchangeNetwork $222.60 ↓ -84%
Humana HumanaChoiceCare $222.60 ↓ -84%
Humana HumanaChoice $222.60 ↓ -84%
Humana BroadNetwork $222.60 ↓ -84%
Aetna NewBusiness $230.04 ↓ -83%
Aetna COMM $230.04 ↓ -83%
Kentucky Labor Cabinet WORKERSCOMP $249.21 ↓ -82%
Pruitt Health (AllyAlign) MCR $257.19 ↓ -81%
NHC Advantage, Inc. MCRHMO $257.19 ↓ -81%
United OptionsPPO $334.35 ↓ -75%
Humana TRICARE $338.41 ↓ -75%
Cigna NewBusiness $344.08 ↓ -75%
Cigna OAP $390.83 ↓ -71%
Cigna PPO $441.29 ↓ -67%
Centurion PRISON $557.70 ↓ -59%
United GlobalBenefitPlan $609.14 ↓ -55%
Aetna NAP $676.82 ↓ -50%
BGFH SingleSource DIRECTNETWORK $676.82 ↓ -50%
Humana BH COMM $879.87 ↓ -35%
United CorePayer $920.54 ↓ -32%
United HeritageSelect $920.54 ↓ -32%
United AllPayerAppendix $920.54 ↓ -32%
Employers Health Network COMM $947.55 ↓ -30%
MHNet COMM $1,015.23 ↓ -25%
Odom's TN Pride Sausage WORKERSCOMP $1,015.23 ↓ -25%
Multiplan COMM $1,109.98 ↓ -18%
BGFH SingleSource LEASEDNETWORK $1,150.59 ↓ -15%
Prime Health COMMPPO $1,191.20 ↓ -12%
Beech Street COMM $1,191.20 ↓ -12%
TriWest Healthcare FED $1,326.57 ↓ -2%

Visitor-reported prices

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Contrast x-ray of brain at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Nashville not published $38.37 – $1,089.31
Greeneville Community Hospital GREENEVILLE $321.60 $44.51 – $1,594.69
Bristol Regional Medical Center BRISTOL $321.60 $44.51 – $1,784.80
Holston Valley Medical Center KINGSPORT $321.60 $44.51 – $1,784.80
Hawkins County Memorial Hospital ROGERSVILLE $321.60 $44.51 – $1,550.48
Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Smithville not published $38.37 – $1,089.31
Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Sparta not published $38.37 – $1,089.31
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park McMinnville not published $57.33 – $1,089.31

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →