Incision of cheek nerve 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

$2,421.48

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.

$4,748.00

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.

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The hospital's undiscounted list price — almost no one pays this.

$15.05 with first choice vs $3,505.92 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
first choice commercial $15.05 ↓ -99%
aetna medicare advantage $21.58 ↓ -99%
confluence health medicare advantage $69.04 ↓ -97%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $73.42 ↓ -97%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $196.68 ↓ -92%
united healthcare commercial $549.85 ↓ -77%
humana medicare advantage $569.80 ↓ -76%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $569.80 ↓ -76%
united healthcare medicare advantage $569.80 ↓ -76%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $569.80 ↓ -76%
optum care network medicare advantage $569.80 ↓ -76%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $580.85 ↓ -76%
multiplan medicare advantage $580.85 ↓ -76%
signal health medicare advantage $580.85 ↓ -76%
regence medicare advantage $593.26 ↓ -76%
regence uniform medical plan $975.00 ↓ -60%
coventry - first health commercial $1,056.74 ↓ -56%
premera commercial $1,153.82 ↓ -52%
regence commercial $1,293.97 ↓ -47%
cigna commercial $1,815.57 ↓ -25%
kaiser health plan commercial $2,152.94 ↓ -11%
aetna commercial $2,991.24 ↑ +24%
cigna local plus $3,505.92 ↑ +45%

Visitor-reported prices

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Incision of cheek nerve at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle not published $2,261.24 – $8,373.23
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle not published $2,261.24 – $8,063.75
Central Medical Center Seattle not published not published
Providence St Luke's Rehabilitation Medical Center Spokane not published $2,176.01 – $2,393.61
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane not published $2,176.01 – $5,537.94
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah not published $2,267.58 – $8,373.23
Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia not published $2,261.24 – $10,058.20
Swedish Edmonds Hospital Edmonds not published $2,223.77 – $8,321.65

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →