Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast 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

$303.45

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.

$595.00

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.

$3.32 with first choice vs $476.00 with coventry - first health — 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
first choice commercial $3.32 ↓ -99%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $5.28 ↓ -98%
confluence health medicare advantage $92.26 ↓ -70%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $123.26 ↓ -59%
united healthcare medicare advantage $123.26 ↓ -59%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $123.26 ↓ -59%
humana medicare advantage $123.26 ↓ -59%
optum care network medicare advantage $123.26 ↓ -59%
united healthcare commercial $126.74 ↓ -58%
signal health medicare advantage $128.87 ↓ -58%
multiplan medicare advantage $128.87 ↓ -58%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $128.87 ↓ -58%
regence medicare advantage $136.75 ↓ -55%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $203.61 ↓ -33%
regence uniform medical plan $210.13 ↓ -31%
premera commercial $248.67 ↓ -18%
regence commercial $278.88 ↓ -8%
kaiser health plan commercial $358.78 ↑ +18%
aetna commercial $374.85 ↑ +24%
cigna commercial $418.50 ↑ +38%
cigna local plus $439.35 ↑ +45%
coventry - first health commercial $476.00 ↑ +57%

Visitor-reported prices

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Chg radiologic exam esophagus double contrast at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $424.80 $203.11 – $856.43
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $424.80 $203.11 – $829.10
Central Medical Center Seattle $616.00 $179.00 – $179.00
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $1,143.80 $195.46 – $655.99
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $424.80 $203.68 – $856.43
Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia $973.96 $203.11 – $1,135.23
Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Colville $434.00 not published
Kadlec Regional Medical Center Richland $752.50 $194.49 – $712.48

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →