Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (without contrast) 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

not published by hospital

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

not published by hospital

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.

$277.00 with Humana vs $5,207.82 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
Humana NarrowExchangeNetwork $277.00
Humana BroadNetwork $277.00
Humana HumanaChoice $277.00
Humana HumanaChoiceCare $277.00
United CorePayer $313.62
United AllPayerAppendix $313.62
United HeritageSelect $313.62
BCBS TENNCARE $472.22
BCBS COVERKIDS $510.98
Aetna NewBusiness $530.38
Aetna COMM $530.38
BCBS BlueCare $937.38
Kentucky Labor Cabinet WORKERSCOMP $978.33
Pruitt Health (AllyAlign) MCR $1,009.68
NHC Advantage, Inc. MCRHMO $1,009.68
United OptionsPPO $1,312.58
Humana TRICARE $1,328.53
Cigna PPO $1,732.40
United GlobalBenefitPlan $2,391.35
Aetna NAP $2,657.05
BGFH SingleSource DIRECTNETWORK $2,657.05
Humana BH COMM $3,454.16
Employers Health Network COMM $3,719.87
Multiplan COMM $4,357.56
BGFH SingleSource LEASEDNETWORK $4,516.99
Beech Street COMM $4,676.41
Prime Health COMMPPO $4,676.41
TriWest Healthcare FED $5,207.82

Visitor-reported prices

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Lower Back (Lumbar Spine) MRI (without contrast) at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown Nashville $1,002.12 $179.77 – $559.14
CHI Memorial Hospital Hixson Hixson $1,422.88 $186.96 – $2,884.20
62-1166050 BMH Carroll County Huntingdon $939.55 $192.03 – $441.44
CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga Chattanooga $2,033.37 $186.96 – $2,884.20
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $604.95 $220.67 – $485.38
Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Smithville $976.83 $167.52 – $559.14
Ascension Saint Thomas Highlands Sparta $976.83 $167.52 – $559.14
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park McMinnville $930.30 $167.52 – $669.56

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →