MRA spinal canal 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

$898.11

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.

$1,761.00

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.

$11.37 with first choice vs $1,408.80 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 $11.37 ↓ -99%
confluence health medicare advantage $24.22 ↓ -97%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $37.77 ↓ -96%
aetna medicare advantage $43.66 ↓ -95%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $87.71 ↓ -90%
humana medicare advantage $397.89 ↓ -56%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $397.89 ↓ -56%
united healthcare medicare advantage $397.89 ↓ -56%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $397.89 ↓ -56%
optum care network medicare advantage $397.89 ↓ -56%
united healthcare commercial $411.27 ↓ -54%
signal health medicare advantage $420.72 ↓ -53%
multiplan medicare advantage $420.72 ↓ -53%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $420.72 ↓ -53%
regence medicare advantage $443.74 ↓ -51%
regence uniform medical plan $677.31 ↓ -25%
premera commercial $801.53 ↓ -11%
regence commercial $898.89 ↑ +0%
kaiser health plan commercial $1,061.88 ↑ +18%
aetna commercial $1,109.43 ↑ +24%
cigna local plus $1,300.32 ↑ +45%
cigna commercial $1,300.32 ↑ +45%
coventry - first health commercial $1,408.80 ↑ +57%

Visitor-reported prices

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MRA spinal canal at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $1,442.40 $989.04 – $989.04
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $1,442.40 $989.04 – $989.04
Central Medical Center Seattle $2,800.00 $349.00 – $349.00
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $2,139.20 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $2,033.50 $1,087.94 – $3,270.61
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $1,442.40 $989.04 – $1,088.77
Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Colville $2,510.90 not published
Providence St Mary Medical Center Walla Walla $3,283.00 $1,738.33 – $1,738.33

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →