MRA aorta thoracic w/wo contrast 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

$747.66

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.

$1,466.00

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.

$11.01 with first choice vs $1,172.80 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
first choice commercial $11.01 ↓ -99%
aetna medicare advantage $26.34 ↓ -96%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $41.72 ↓ -94%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $161.16 ↓ -78%
confluence health medicare advantage $211.94 ↓ -72%
humana medicare advantage $387.97 ↓ -48%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $387.97 ↓ -48%
united healthcare medicare advantage $387.97 ↓ -48%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $387.97 ↓ -48%
optum care network medicare advantage $387.97 ↓ -48%
united healthcare commercial $395.99 ↓ -47%
signal health medicare advantage $406.04 ↓ -46%
multiplan medicare advantage $406.04 ↓ -46%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $406.04 ↓ -46%
regence medicare advantage $427.25 ↓ -43%
regence uniform medical plan $652.92 ↓ -13%
premera commercial $772.66 ↑ +3%
regence commercial $866.52 ↑ +16%
kaiser health plan commercial $884.00 ↑ +18%
aetna commercial $923.58 ↑ +24%
cigna local plus $1,082.49 ↑ +45%
cigna commercial $1,082.49 ↑ +45%
coventry - first health commercial $1,172.80 ↑ +57%

Visitor-reported prices

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MRA aorta thoracic w/wo contrast at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $597.60 $947.61 – $947.61
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $597.60 $947.61 – $947.61
Central Medical Center Seattle $3,200.00 $338.00 – $338.00
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $2,328.20 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $4,419.80 $1,042.37 – $3,140.79
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $597.60 $947.61 – $1,055.44
Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Colville $1,956.50 not published
Providence St Mary Medical Center Walla Walla $2,437.40 $1,669.33 – $1,669.33

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →