Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at Smyth County Community Hospital

245 MEDICAL PARK DR., MARION, VA · Balladhealth · · NPI 1073519377

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

$29.40

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.

$196.00

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.

$12.68 with UNITED HEALTHCARE vs $196.00 with SEVEN CORNERS, INC. — 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 UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICAID VIRGINIA $12.68 ↓ -57%
OPTIMA HEALTH OPTIMA HEALTH MEDICAID $12.68 ↓ -57%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HLTHKEEP MEDICIAD $13.06 ↓ -56%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA $13.18 ↓ -55%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICAID $13.19 ↓ -55%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA MEDICARE $16.77 ↓ -43%
AETNA AETNA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $16.77 ↓ -43%
HUMANA HUMANA MEDICARE $16.77 ↓ -43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $16.77 ↓ -43%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP MEDICARE WELLPOINT $16.77 ↓ -43%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM EXCHANGE $16.77 ↓ -43%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM HMO $16.77 ↓ -43%
UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA UNITED MINE WORKERS OF AMERICA $16.77 ↓ -43%
ALLCARE MEDICARE ALLCARE MEDICARE $16.77 ↓ -43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE RIVER VALLEY $16.77 ↓ -43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UHC HERITAGE SELECT $16.77 ↓ -43%
UNITED HEALTHCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $16.77 ↓ -43%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM PPO, TRADITIONAL INDEMNITY $16.77 ↓ -43%
MANAGED MEDICAIRE MANAGED MEDICAIRE $16.77 ↓ -43%
BLUE CROSS ANTHEM MEDICARE VIRGINIA $17.27 ↓ -41%
AETNA AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF VIRGINIA MEDICARE $17.27 ↓ -41%
MOLINA HEALTHCARE MOLINA HEALTHCARE MEDICARE $17.44 ↓ -41%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS MEDICARE $17.44 ↓ -41%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA MEDICARE $17.61 ↓ -40%
NHC ADVANTAGE NHC ADVANTAGE $17.61 ↓ -40%
DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN DEVOTED HEALTH PLAN MEDICARE $17.61 ↓ -40%
UNITED HEALTHCARE TENNCARE UNITED HEALTHCARE $21.38 ↓ -27%
BLUE CROSS BLUE CROSS BALLAD HEALTH EMPLOYEE $30.36 ↑ +3%
AMBETTER AMBETTER $36.56 ↑ +24%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA INDIVIDUAL FAMILY PLAN $36.81 ↑ +25%
SENTARA HEALTH SENTARA HEALTH $54.53 ↑ +85%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA PPO $66.33 ↑ +126%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA OPEN ACCESS PLUS $66.33 ↑ +126%
CIGNA HEALTHCARE CIGNA HMO $66.33 ↑ +126%
MEDCOST MEDCOST VHN $68.60 ↑ +133%
AETNA AETNA $166.60 ↑ +467%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE SELECT $196.00 ↑ +567%
FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY FIRST HEALTH COVENTRY $196.00 ↑ +567%
BLUE CROSS TENNCARE BLUE CARE $196.00 ↑ +567%
AMERIGROUP AMERIGROUP $196.00 ↑ +567%
SEVEN CORNERS, INC. SEVEN CORNERS, INC. $196.00 ↑ +567%

Visitor-reported prices

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Alpha-fetoprotein tumor marker at other Virginia hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria $168.00 $14.35 – $211.38
Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church $168.00 $14.35 – $211.38
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital VA 22033-1709 $168.00 $14.35 – $211.38
Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg $168.00 $14.35 – $211.38
Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria $168.00 $14.35 – $211.38
Johnston Memorial Hospital ABINGDON $29.40 $8.39 – $36.56
Russell County Hospital LEBANON $29.40 $12.68 – $36.56
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital Charlottesville $77.00 $17.11 – $28.13

All Virginia hospitals for this procedure →