Custom shape cover bk 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

not published by hospital

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.

not published by hospital

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.

$512.33 with multiplan vs $2,596.31 with cigna — 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
multiplan medicare advantage $512.33
regence medicare advantage $622.12
regence uniform medical plan $714.75
regence commercial $714.75
kaiser foundation hp medicare $731.90
united healthcare medicare advantage $731.90
humana medicare advantage $731.90
optum care network medicare advantage $731.90
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $731.90
aetna medicare advantage ppo $753.86
aetna medicare advantage hmo $768.50
united healthcare commercial $878.28
premera commercial $1,901.24
kaiser health plan commercial $2,063.45
cigna commercial $2,287.70
cigna local plus $2,596.31

Visitor-reported prices

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Custom shape cover bk at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle not published $746.54 – $2,267.99
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle not published $746.54 – $1,825.68
MultiCare Valley Hospital Spokane Valley $380.40 $714.75 – $3,100.05
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center Auburn $380.40 $625.41 – $3,225.44
MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital Puyallup $380.40 $625.41 – $3,225.44
MultiCare Capital Medical Center Olympia $380.40 $643.28 – $1,353.48
MultiCare Covington Medical Center Covington $380.40 $625.41 – $3,225.44
MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Tacoma $380.40 $625.41 – $5,479.07

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →