Cell function assay w/stim at St. Joseph Medical Center

1717 South J Street, Tacoma, WA · Vmfh · · NPI 1952309098

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Feb 28, 2026 · Ingested Sep 17, 2026

$123.60

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.

$373.18

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.

$135.86 with Kaiser vs $1,006.89 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
Kaiser Medicare|All Plans $135.86 ↑ +10%
SoundPath Medicare|All Plans $135.86 ↑ +10%
BCBS - Regence Medicare|All Plans $135.86 ↑ +10%
Optum Medicare|All Plans $137.22 ↑ +11%
BCBS - Premera Medicare|All Plans $139.94 ↑ +13%
Aetna Medicare|All Plans $139.94 ↑ +13%
BCBS - Regence Commercial|All Plans $142.65 ↑ +15%
BCBS - Premera Commercial|LifeWise Primary Exchange $144.42 ↑ +17%
Humana Medicare|All Plans $145.37 ↑ +18%
Molina Medicare|All Plans $146.73 ↑ +19%
United Medicare|All Plans $146.73 ↑ +19%
Amerigroup Medicare|All Plans $148.09 ↑ +20%
CHPW Medicare|All Plans $156.24 ↑ +26%
Seattle Medical Group Medicare|All Plans $156.24 ↑ +26%
United Commercial|Cascade Care $163.03 ↑ +32%
United Commercial|All Other Plans $163.03 ↑ +32%
United Commercial|Navigate $163.03 ↑ +32%
Uniform Medical Plan Commercial|All Plans $203.79 ↑ +65%
BCBS - Premera Commercial|All Other Plans $203.79 ↑ +65%
Cigna Commercial|All Plans $246.39 ↑ +99%
Molina Commercial|Marketplace Exchange $260.85 ↑ +111%
Aetna Commercial|Rental $268.69 ↑ +117%
Coordinated Care Commercial|Ambetter Exchange $269.00 ↑ +118%
Sound Family Medicine Commercial|All Plans $271.72 ↑ +120%
MultiPlan Commercial|All Plans $279.89 ↑ +126%
Aetna Commercial|AWH $508.12 ↑ +311%
Aetna Commercial|All Other Plans $597.78 ↑ +384%
First Choice Commercial|All Plans $825.53 ↑ +568%
Aetna Commercial|WEA $1,006.89 ↑ +715%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cell function assay w/stim at other Washington hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's Hospital Tacoma $314.40 $21.40 – $156.24
MultiCare Allenmore Hospital Tacoma $314.40 $21.51 – $266.29
Swedish Medical Center - First Hill Campus Seattle $521.76 $122.27 – $638.54
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital Spokane $1,215.20 $135.86 – $489.10
Swedish Medical Center Cherry Hill Seattle $521.76 $122.27 – $618.16
Swedish Issaquah Issaquah $521.76 $122.27 – $638.54
Providence St Mary Medical Center Walla Walla $242.90 $135.86 – $251.34
MultiCare Valley Hospital Spokane Valley $600.00 $20.55 – $246.31

All Washington hospitals for this procedure →