Cholesterol (Lipid) Test 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

$54.06

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.

$106.00

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.

$9.37 with multiplan vs $84.80 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 $9.37 ↓ -83%
regence medicare advantage $11.38 ↓ -79%
humana medicare advantage $13.39 ↓ -75%
united healthcare medicare advantage $13.39 ↓ -75%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $13.39 ↓ -75%
optum care network medicare advantage $13.39 ↓ -75%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $13.39 ↓ -75%
regence commercial $13.39 ↓ -75%
regence uniform medical plan $13.39 ↓ -75%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $13.79 ↓ -74%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $14.06 ↓ -74%
united healthcare commercial $16.07 ↓ -70%
kaiser health plan commercial $21.42 ↓ -60%
premera commercial $23.43 ↓ -57%
cigna commercial $41.85 ↓ -23%
cigna local plus $47.50 ↓ -12%
aetna commercial $60.39 ↑ +12%
first choice commercial $67.89 ↑ +26%
coventry - first health commercial $84.80 ↑ +57%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Cholesterol (Lipid) Test at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $87.84 $12.05 – $40.68
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $87.84 $12.05 – $40.17
Central Medical Center Seattle $100.80 $10.00 – $10.00
Navos Multi-Treatment Center Seattle $26.80 not published
Providence St Luke's Rehabilitation Medical Center Spokane $175.14 $13.39 – $14.73
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $65.80 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $51.10 $13.39 – $34.08
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $87.84 $12.05 – $29.73

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →