Brain MRI (with contrast) at Johnston Memorial Hospital

16000 JOHNSTON MEMORIAL DRIVE, ABINGDON, VA · Balladhealth · · NPI 1104812684

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

$636.75

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.

$4,245.00

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.

$340.39 with AETNA vs $4,245.00 with UNITED 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
AETNA AETNA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $340.39 ↓ -47%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $340.39 ↓ -47%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $340.39 ↓ -47%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS MEDICARE $340.39 ↓ -47%
ALLCARE MEDICARE ALLCARE MEDICARE $340.39 ↓ -47%
MANAGED MEDICAIRE MANAGED MEDICAIRE $340.39 ↓ -47%
MOUNTAIN EMPIRE PACE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE PACE $340.39 ↓ -47%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA MEDICARE $340.39 ↓ -47%
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA $340.39 ↓ -47%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM MEDICARE VIRGINIA $350.60 ↓ -45%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA MEDICARE $350.60 ↓ -45%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP MEDICARE WELLPOINT $354.01 ↓ -44%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $354.01 ↓ -44%
NHC ADVANTAGE NHC ADVANTAGE $357.41 ↓ -44%
DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE $357.41 ↓ -44%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA MEDICARE $357.41 ↓ -44%
WELLCARE WELLCARE MEDICARE $360.81 ↓ -43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE TENNCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $392.26 ↓ -38%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE SELECT $441.55 ↓ -31%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE CARE $441.55 ↓ -31%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP $453.24 ↓ -29%
OPTIMA HEALTH OPTIMA HEALTH MEDICAID $512.80 ↓ -19%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICAID VIRGINIA $512.80 ↓ -19%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HLTHKEEP MEDICIAD $528.18 ↓ -17%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICAID $533.31 ↓ -16%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA $538.44 ↓ -15%
AMBETTER AMBETTER $742.05 ↑ +17%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA INDIVIDUAL FAMILY PLAN $786.00 ↑ +23%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS BALLAD HEALTH EMPLOYEE $833.90 ↑ +31%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA HMO $923.00 ↑ +45%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA OPEN ACCESS PLUS $923.00 ↑ +45%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA PPO $1,025.00 ↑ +61%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM EXCHANGE $1,142.60 ↑ +79%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HMO $1,309.75 ↑ +106%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS S NETWORK $1,393.35 ↑ +119%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM PPO, TRADITIONAL INDEMNITY $1,393.35 ↑ +119%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS P NETWORK $1,393.35 ↑ +119%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA HEALTH $1,424.20 ↑ +124%
MEDCOST MEDCOST VHN $1,485.75 ↑ +133%
AETNA AETNA $2,708.31 ↑ +325%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE SELECT $2,938.00 ↑ +361%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE RIVER VALLEY $3,354.00 ↑ +427%
FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY $4,245.00 ↑ +567%
SEVEN CORNERS, INC. SEVEN CORNERS, INC. $4,245.00 ↑ +567%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $4,245.00 ↑ +567%

Visitor-reported prices

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Brain MRI (with contrast) at other Virginia hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
LEWISGALE HOSPITAL-ALLEGHANY LOW MOOR $13,740.00 $422.57 – $828.27
Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria $886.00 $357.13 – $2,265.72
Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church $886.00 $357.13 – $2,265.72
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital VA 22033-1709 $886.00 $357.13 – $2,265.72
Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg $886.00 $357.13 – $2,265.72
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria $886.00 $357.13 – $2,265.72
Russell County Hospital LEBANON $636.75 $340.39 – $742.05
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Charlottesville $1,812.00 $347.20 – $357.41

All Virginia hospitals for this procedure →