X-ray lumbosacral spine complete including bending views >= 6 views 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

$323.34

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.

$634.00

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.

$1.81 with first choice vs $399.42 with aetna — 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 $1.81 ↓ -99%
aetna medicare advantage ppo $17.09 ↓ -95%
confluence health medicare advantage $26.33 ↓ -92%
aetna medicare advantage $32.47 ↓ -90%
aetna medicare advantage hmo $41.84 ↓ -87%
humana medicare advantage $70.54 ↓ -78%
humana choicecare medicare advantage $70.54 ↓ -78%
united healthcare medicare advantage $70.54 ↓ -78%
kaiser foundation hp medicare $70.54 ↓ -78%
optum care network medicare advantage $70.54 ↓ -78%
united healthcare commercial $70.61 ↓ -78%
signal health medicare advantage $72.59 ↓ -78%
multiplan medicare advantage $72.59 ↓ -78%
premera medicare advantage hmo/ppo $72.59 ↓ -78%
regence medicare advantage $76.18 ↓ -76%
regence uniform medical plan $116.32 ↓ -64%
premera commercial $137.66 ↓ -57%
regence commercial $154.38 ↓ -52%
coventry - first health commercial $194.04 ↓ -40%
kaiser health plan commercial $206.88 ↓ -36%
cigna commercial $233.14 ↓ -28%
cigna local plus $392.34 ↑ +21%
aetna commercial $399.42 ↑ +24%

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray lumbosacral spine complete including bending views >= 6 views at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $488.16 $121.06 – $526.78
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $488.16 $121.06 – $509.96
Central Medical Center Seattle $368.00 $107.00 – $107.00
Providence St Joseph Hospital Chewelah $746.90 not published
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $1,286.60 $116.50 – $403.49
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $488.16 $121.40 – $526.78
Providence Centralia Hospital Centralia $481.00 $121.06 – $698.26
Providence Mount Carmel Hospital Colville $911.40 not published

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →