Crystal identification light microscopy 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

$42.33

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.

$83.00

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.

$5.13 with multiplan vs $66.40 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 $5.13 ↓ -88%
regence medicare advantage $6.23 ↓ -85%
humana medicare advantage $7.33 ↓ -83%
united healthcare medicare advantage $7.33 ↓ -83%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $7.33 ↓ -83%
optum care network medicare advantage $7.33 ↓ -83%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $7.33 ↓ -83%
regence commercial $7.33 ↓ -83%
regence uniform medical plan $7.33 ↓ -83%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $7.55 ↓ -82%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $7.70 ↓ -82%
united healthcare commercial $8.80 ↓ -79%
kaiser health plan commercial $11.73 ↓ -72%
premera commercial $12.83 ↓ -70%
cigna commercial $22.91 ↓ -46%
cigna local plus $26.00 ↓ -39%
aetna commercial $33.06 ↓ -22%
first choice commercial $53.16 ↑ +26%
coventry - first health commercial $66.40 ↑ +57%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
Report what you paid sign in to post

Comments

Add a comment sign in to post

Crystal identification light microscopy at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $39.36 $6.60 – $34.45
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $39.36 $6.60 – $33.35
Central Medical Center Seattle $88.00 $31.00 – $31.00
Providence St Luke's Rehabilitation Medical Center Spokane $101.43 $7.33 – $8.06
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $62.30 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $239.40 $7.33 – $26.39
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $39.36 $6.60 – $34.45
Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia $88.40 $7.33 – $45.67

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →