Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation 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

$103.02

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.

Full explanation →

What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$202.00

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.

$29.93 with multiplan vs $161.60 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
multiplan medicare advantage $29.93 ↓ -71%
regence medicare advantage $36.34 ↓ -65%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $42.76 ↓ -58%
humana medicare advantage $42.76 ↓ -58%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $42.76 ↓ -58%
united healthcare medicare advantage $42.76 ↓ -58%
optum care network medicare advantage $42.76 ↓ -58%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $44.04 ↓ -57%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $44.89 ↓ -56%
kaiser health plan commercial $100.59 ↓ -2%
regence uniform medical plan $103.35 ↑ +0%
premera commercial $121.20 ↑ +18%
regence commercial $124.82 ↑ +21%
aetna commercial $127.26 ↑ +24%
cigna commercial $127.44 ↑ +24%
first choice commercial $129.38 ↑ +26%
united healthcare commercial $144.57 ↑ +40%
cigna local plus $144.82 ↑ +41%
coventry - first health commercial $161.60 ↑ +57%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
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Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $88.32 $43.25 – $157.12
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $88.32 $43.25 – $152.11
Central Medical Center Seattle $460.00 $40.00 – $40.00
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $261.10 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $142.10 $41.62 – $120.35
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $88.32 $43.37 – $157.12
Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Colville $136.50 not published
Swedish Edmonds Hospital Edmonds $88.32 $42.54 – $150.44

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →