CT lower extremity w/contrast (both sides) 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

$1,083.75

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.

$2,125.00

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.

$5.28 with first choice vs $1,028.53 with aetna — 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 $5.28 ↓ -100%
aetna medicare advantage $10.56 ↓ -99%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $15.03 ↓ -99%
confluence health medicare advantage $54.37 ↓ -95%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $79.55 ↓ -93%
multiplan medicare advantage $135.74 ↓ -87%
regence medicare advantage $164.82 ↓ -85%
humana medicare advantage $192.60 ↓ -82%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $192.60 ↓ -82%
united healthcare medicare advantage $192.60 ↓ -82%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $192.60 ↓ -82%
optum care network medicare advantage $192.60 ↓ -82%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $193.91 ↓ -82%
united healthcare commercial $194.92 ↓ -82%
signal health medicare advantage $200.52 ↓ -81%
regence uniform medical plan $323.96 ↓ -70%
premera commercial $383.37 ↓ -65%
regence commercial $429.94 ↓ -60%
kaiser health plan commercial $534.17 ↓ -51%
cigna commercial $577.95 ↓ -47%
cigna local plus $656.77 ↓ -39%
coventry - first health commercial $822.86 ↓ -24%
aetna commercial $1,028.53 ↓ -5%

Visitor-reported prices

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CT lower extremity w/contrast (both sides) at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $1,052.16 $203.11 – $856.43
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $1,052.16 $203.11 – $829.10
Central Medical Center Seattle $1,920.00 $179.00 – $179.00
Providence St Luke's Rehabilitation Medical Center Spokane $684.18 $189.95 – $215.00
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $1,268.40 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $1,295.00 $195.46 – $655.99
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $1,052.16 $203.68 – $856.43
Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia $1,711.32 $203.11 – $1,135.23

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →