Neck (Cervical Spine) MRI (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

$892.50

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.

$1,750.00

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.

$6.18 with first choice vs $1,291.93 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 $6.18 ↓ -99%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $20.68 ↓ -98%
confluence health medicare advantage $34.54 ↓ -96%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $57.69 ↓ -94%
aetna medicare advantage $142.97 ↓ -84%
multiplan medicare advantage $184.31 ↓ -79%
humana medicare advantage $219.34 ↓ -75%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $219.34 ↓ -75%
united healthcare medicare advantage $219.34 ↓ -75%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $219.34 ↓ -75%
optum care network medicare advantage $219.34 ↓ -75%
united healthcare commercial $222.60 ↓ -75%
regence medicare advantage $223.81 ↓ -75%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $228.85 ↓ -74%
signal health medicare advantage $228.85 ↓ -74%
regence uniform medical plan $371.49 ↓ -58%
premera commercial $439.62 ↓ -51%
regence commercial $493.02 ↓ -45%
kaiser health plan commercial $691.69 ↓ -22%
cigna commercial $735.01 ↓ -18%
cigna local plus $891.79 ↓ -0%
aetna commercial $1,102.50 ↑ +24%
coventry - first health commercial $1,291.93 ↑ +45%

Visitor-reported prices

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

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $1,038.24 $276.30 – $1,095.29
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $1,038.24 $276.30 – $1,060.33
Central Medical Center Seattle $1,760.00 $242.00 – $242.00
Providence St Luke's Rehabilitation Medical Center Spokane $1,401.12 $242.60 – $292.47
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $2,021.60 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $2,366.00 $265.88 – $838.94
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $1,038.24 $277.07 – $1,095.29
Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia $812.76 $276.30 – $1,451.84

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →