Assay of prostaglandin at Virginia Mason Medical Center

1100 9th Ave., Seattle, WA · Vmfh · · NPI 1801851258

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$63.75

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$125.00

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.

Full explanation →

The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$29.24 with multiplan vs $100.00 with coventry - first health — same scan, same building. Share

Negotiated rates by payer
?

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
multiplan medicare advantage $29.24 ↓ -54%
regence medicare advantage $35.50 ↓ -44%
humana medicare advantage $41.77 ↓ -34%
united healthcare medicare advantage $41.77 ↓ -34%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $41.77 ↓ -34%
optum care network medicare advantage $41.77 ↓ -34%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $41.77 ↓ -34%
regence commercial $41.77 ↓ -34%
regence uniform medical plan $41.77 ↓ -34%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $43.02 ↓ -33%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $43.86 ↓ -31%
united healthcare commercial $50.12 ↓ -21%
kaiser health plan commercial $66.83 ↑ +5%
premera commercial $73.10 ↑ +15%
aetna commercial $78.75 ↑ +24%
first choice commercial $80.06 ↑ +26%
cigna commercial $92.30 ↑ +45%
cigna local plus $92.30 ↑ +45%
coventry - first health commercial $100.00 ↑ +57%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Assay of prostaglandin at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Central Medical Center Seattle $188.00 $32.00 – $32.00
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle not published $37.59 – $196.32
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle not published $37.59 – $190.05
Providence St Mary Medical Center Walla Walla $442.40 $41.77 – $77.27
MultiCare Valley Hospital Spokane Valley $149.60 $21.96 – $75.73
MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital Yakima $66.80 $43.24 – $74.97
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Auburn $48.40 $22.46 – $81.87
MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital Puyallup $48.40 $22.98 – $81.87

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →