Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Emergency Center - Alon
11503 NW Military Hwy, San Antonio, TX · Christushealth · · NPI 1194787218
$1,759.89
Cash price 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.
$5,333.00
Gross charge 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.
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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.
$172.16 with United Healthcare vs $4,308.00 with Cigna — 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 →
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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 ?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 ?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 | Chip KM | $172.16 | ↓ -90% |
| United Healthcare | Star KM | $172.16 | ↓ -90% |
| United Healthcare | Star Plus KM | $172.16 | ↓ -90% |
| Driscoll Children's Health Plan | Star Kids KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Driscoll Children's Health Plan | Star KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Driscoll Children's Health Plan | Chip KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Community First | Star Kids KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Molina | Chip KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Superior | Chip KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| El Paso First | KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Aetna | Star KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Superior | Foster Care KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Superior | Star Plus KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Molina | Star Plus KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| First Care | KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Texas | Star Chip KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Aetna | Chip KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Superior | Star Kids KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Superior | Star KM | $223.75 | ↓ -87% |
| Community First | Star KM | $234.94 | ↓ -87% |
| Texas Childrens Health Plan | Star Plus KM | $234.94 | ↓ -87% |
| Community First | Chip KM | $234.94 | ↓ -87% |
| Texas Childrens Health Plan | Chip KM | $234.94 | ↓ -87% |
| Amerigroup | Star Plus KM | $445.80 | ↓ -75% |
| Community First | Med Adv MM | $445.80 | ↓ -75% |
| Amerigroup | Star Kids KM | $445.80 | ↓ -75% |
| Amerigroup | Star KM | $445.80 | ↓ -75% |
| Amerigroup | Chip KM | $445.80 | ↓ -75% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | Blue AdvantangeHMO | $573.76 | ↓ -67% |
| Aetna | MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Superior | Star Plus MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Triwest | VA MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Humana | Gold Choice MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Humana | Gold Plus MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| United Healthcare | MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Allwell | Superior Health MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Christus Health | Med Adv MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Molina | Medicare Adv MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Texas Healthspring | MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Coventry | First Health MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Wellcare | MM | $580.53 | ↓ -67% |
| Provider Partners Health Plan | MM | $597.95 | ↓ -66% |
| Texas Independence Health Plan | MM | $597.95 | ↓ -66% |
| Shared Health Insurance Company | MM | $609.56 | ↓ -65% |
| US Imaging Network | PPO | $621.17 | ↓ -65% |
| Devoted Health Plan | MM | $626.97 | ↓ -64% |
| Amerigroup | MM | $626.97 | ↓ -64% |
| American Health Medicare | Advantage MM | $638.58 | ↓ -64% |
| ProCare Advantage | MM | $638.58 | ↓ -64% |
| Imperial Health Plan | MM | $638.58 | ↓ -64% |
| Employer Direct | Healthcare PPO | $696.64 | ↓ -60% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | HMO | $737.70 | ↓ -58% |
| Gilsbar Inc. | MM | $754.69 | ↓ -57% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | HEB | $756.61 | ↓ -57% |
| Christus Health | HIX | $812.74 | ↓ -54% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | PPO | $838.58 | ↓ -52% |
| Humana | Choicecare | $847.00 | ↓ -52% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas | Traditional | $863.80 | ↓ -51% |
| Naphcare Inc. | RRMB | $1,161.06 | ↓ -34% |
| Aetna | New Business | $1,612.00 | ↓ -8% |
| Community First Health Plan | HMO | $1,783.20 | ↑ +1% |
| Aetna | PPO | $1,791.00 | ↑ +2% |
| Aetna | EPO | $1,791.00 | ↑ +2% |
| Aetna | HMO | $1,791.00 | ↑ +2% |
| Aetna | POS | $1,791.00 | ↑ +2% |
| United Healthcare | All Payer | $1,943.00 | ↑ +10% |
| Christian Brothers Services | PPO | $2,043.25 | ↑ +16% |
| Healthsmart | Accel PPO | $2,414.75 | ↑ +37% |
| First Health | PPO | $2,414.75 | ↑ +37% |
| Phcs | PPO | $2,414.75 | ↑ +37% |
| Multiplan | PPO | $2,414.75 | ↑ +37% |
| Medicus Internatiaonal | PPO | $2,786.25 | ↑ +58% |
| Healthcare Highways | PPO | $2,963.00 | ↑ +68% |
| Provider Select | PPO | $2,972.00 | ↑ +69% |
| Beech Street | PPO | $2,972.00 | ↑ +69% |
| Health Management Network | PPO | $2,972.00 | ↑ +69% |
| HealthSmart | PPO | $2,972.00 | ↑ +69% |
| Cigna | New Business | $3,395.00 | ↑ +93% |
| National Choicecare | PPO | $3,529.25 | ↑ +101% |
| Five Point Credit Union | PPO | $4,020.00 | ↑ +128% |
| Cigna | PPO | $4,308.00 | ↑ +145% |
Visitor-reported prices
Comments
Thoracentesis pleural space needle/catheter aspiration with imaging guidance (both sides) at other Texas hospitals
| Hospital | City | Cash price | Negotiated range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adventhealth Rollins Brook | Lampasas | $5,692.94 | $788.14 – $4,826.69 |
| BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER | Dallas | $1,410.82 | $223.75 – $1,763.53 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BRENHAM | Brenham | $1,298.50 | $71.00 – $1,947.74 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - BUDA | Suite 110 | $1,110.97 | $71.00 – $1,556.23 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - CENTENNIAL | Frisco | $1,410.82 | $223.75 – $1,763.53 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER - COLLEGE STATION | College Station | $1,298.50 | $85.00 – $1,947.74 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE CONTINUING CARE HOSPITAL | Temple | $1,298.50 | $223.75 – $1,947.74 |
| BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER - CEDAR PARK | Cedar Park | $1,110.97 | $71.00 – $1,666.46 |