Sputum specimen collection at Hancock County Hospital

1519 MAIN ST., SNEEDVILLE, TN · Balladhealth · · NPI 1053340158

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

$46.69

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.

$203.00

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.

$8.54 with UNITED HEALTHCARE vs $240.69 with MOLINA 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
UNITED HEALTHCARE TENNCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $8.54 ↓ -82%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE SELECT $13.11 ↓ -72%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE CARE $13.11 ↓ -72%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP $24.77 ↓ -47%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA INDIVIDUAL FAMILY PLAN $41.58 ↓ -11%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS E NETWORK $48.99 ↑ +5%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS S NETWORK $50.06 ↑ +7%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS P NETWORK $50.06 ↑ +7%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA HEALTH $52.39 ↑ +12%
MEDCOST MEDCOST VHN $96.61 ↑ +107%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS BALLAD HEALTH EMPLOYEE $142.10 ↑ +204%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $143.50 ↑ +207%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE SELECT $143.50 ↑ +207%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE RIVER VALLEY $143.50 ↑ +207%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA MEDICARE $144.13 ↑ +209%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $144.13 ↑ +209%
WELLCARE WELLCARE MEDICARE $144.13 ↑ +209%
AETNA AETNA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $144.13 ↑ +209%
AMBETTER AMBETTER $144.13 ↑ +209%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP MEDICARE WELLPOINT $144.13 ↑ +209%
ALLCARE MEDICARE ALLCARE MEDICARE $144.13 ↑ +209%
MANAGED MEDICAIRE MANAGED MEDICAIRE $144.13 ↑ +209%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA MEDICARE $144.13 ↑ +209%
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA $144.13 ↑ +209%
AETNA AETNA $144.54 ↑ +210%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $146.44 ↑ +214%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM MEDICARE VIRGINIA $148.45 ↑ +218%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA HMO $151.03 ↑ +223%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA OPEN ACCESS PLUS $151.03 ↑ +223%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA MEDICARE $151.34 ↑ +224%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $151.34 ↑ +224%
NHC ADVANTAGE NHC ADVANTAGE $151.34 ↑ +224%
DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE $151.34 ↑ +224%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS MEDICARE $152.78 ↑ +227%
FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY $162.40 ↑ +248%
SEVEN CORNERS, INC. SEVEN CORNERS, INC. $203.00 ↑ +335%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM PPO, TRADITIONAL INDEMNITY $203.00 ↑ +335%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HLTHKEEP MEDICIAD $203.00 ↑ +335%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HMO $203.00 ↑ +335%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM EXCHANGE $203.00 ↑ +335%
WELLCARE WELLCARE MEDICAID $203.00 ↑ +335%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICAID VIRGINIA $236.11 ↑ +406%
OPTIMA HEALTH OPTIMA HEALTH MEDICAID $236.34 ↑ +406%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA $238.40 ↑ +411%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICAID $240.69 ↑ +416%

Visitor-reported prices

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Sputum specimen collection at other Tennessee hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Johnson City Medical Center JOHNSON CITY $47.40 $13.11 – $346.58
Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Smithville $34.44 $8.45 – $226.45
Ascension Saint Thomas River Park McMinnville $101.01 $8.45 – $226.45
Greeneville Community Hospital GREENEVILLE $47.40 $6.15 – $346.58
Bristol Regional Medical Center BRISTOL $47.40 $10.25 – $352.34
Franklin Woods Community Hospital JOHNSON CITY $47.40 $15.37 – $337.22
Holston Valley Medical Center KINGSPORT $47.40 $10.25 – $352.34
62-0123940 BMH Collierville Collierville $60.06 $11.30 – $313.82

All Tennessee hospitals for this procedure →