Neck (Cervical Spine) MRI (with and without 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

$1,437.18

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.

$2,818.00

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.

$5.97 with aetna vs $2,052.88 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
aetna medicare advantage ppo $5.97 ↓ -100%
first choice commercial $10.49 ↓ -99%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $59.29 ↓ -96%
aetna medicare advantage $60.20 ↓ -96%
confluence health medicare advantage $63.50 ↓ -96%
multiplan medicare advantage $272.31 ↓ -81%
regence medicare advantage $330.66 ↓ -77%
humana medicare advantage $369.36 ↓ -74%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $369.36 ↓ -74%
united healthcare medicare advantage $369.36 ↓ -74%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $369.36 ↓ -74%
optum care network medicare advantage $369.36 ↓ -74%
united healthcare commercial $376.34 ↓ -74%
signal health medicare advantage $385.50 ↓ -73%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $385.50 ↓ -73%
regence uniform medical plan $626.03 ↓ -56%
premera commercial $740.84 ↓ -48%
regence commercial $830.83 ↓ -42%
kaiser health plan commercial $1,091.29 ↓ -24%
cigna commercial $1,159.46 ↓ -19%
cigna local plus $1,317.58 ↓ -8%
aetna commercial $1,775.34 ↑ +24%
coventry - first health commercial $2,052.88 ↑ +43%

Visitor-reported prices

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Neck (Cervical Spine) MRI (with and without contrast) at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $2,218.56 $403.99 – $1,794.70
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $2,218.56 $403.99 – $1,737.42
Central Medical Center Seattle $2,800.00 $358.00 – $358.00
Providence St Luke's Rehabilitation Medical Center Spokane $1,863.54 $374.48 – $427.64
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $3,294.20 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $3,794.00 $388.77 – $1,374.66
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $2,218.56 $405.13 – $1,794.70
Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia $1,512.16 $403.99 – $2,378.93

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →