After cataract laser surgery at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital

500 Martha Jefferson Drive, Charlottesville, VA · Sentara · · NPI 1346248663

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Apr 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 16, 2026

$897.00

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.

$1,794.00

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.

$547.36 with Sentara Health Plan vs $2,670.00 with Aetna — 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
Sentara Health Plan Medicare Managed Care Plan $547.36 ↓ -39%
Humana Medicare Managed Care Plan $552.72 ↓ -38%
Bcbs Anthem Medicare Managed Care Plan $562.11 ↓ -37%
Aetna Medicare Managed Care Plan $563.46 ↓ -37%
Unitedhealthcare All Commercial Plans $1,547.00 ↑ +72%
Cigna Ppo/Pos $1,571.00 ↑ +75%
Bcbs Anthem Exchange $1,696.89 ↑ +89%
Bcbs Anthem Hmo $1,824.62 ↑ +103%
Bcbs Anthem Ppo $1,962.00 ↑ +119%
Aetna All Commercial Plans $2,670.00 ↑ +198%

Visitor-reported prices

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After cataract laser surgery at other Virginia hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Johnston Memorial Hospital ABINGDON $251.55 $484.66 – $1,169.84
Russell County Hospital LEBANON $251.55 $536.62 – $1,169.84
Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge $1,077.50 $547.36 – $3,486.00
Lonesome Pine Hospital BIG STONE GAP $251.55 $536.62 – $1,287.90
Smyth County Community Hospital MARION $251.55 $536.62 – $1,169.84
Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital South Boston $937.00 not published
Sentara Leigh Hospital Norfolk $1,077.50 $547.36 – $4,564.00
Sentara RMH Medical Center Harrisonburg $897.00 not published

All Virginia hospitals for this procedure →