Conversion ext bil drg cath at UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital

202 South Park Street, Madison, WI · UnityPoint Health · · NPI 1114920048

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 28, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$5,277.99

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.

$6,597.48

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.

$174.67 with United Healthcare vs $6,267.61 with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield — 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
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $174.67 ↓ -97%
IlliniCare Medicare Advantage $174.67 ↓ -97%
Prevea 360 Medicare Advantage $174.67 ↓ -97%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $174.67 ↓ -97%
Aspirus Medicare Advantage $174.67 ↓ -97%
MeridianCare Medicare Advantage $183.40 ↓ -97%
Humana Medicare Advantage $183.40 ↓ -97%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Priority/Pathway $352.83 ↓ -93%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $363.63 ↓ -93%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $415.71 ↓ -92%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO/POS $415.71 ↓ -92%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $415.71 ↓ -92%
United Healthcare Commercial $447.62 ↓ -92%
Medical Associates Health Plan HMO/POS/PPO $579.90 ↓ -89%
Aspirus PPO $1,517.42 ↓ -71%
Cigna Commercial $1,979.24 ↓ -63%
Security Health Plan HMO/POS/SAS $2,045.22 ↓ -61%
Quartz HMO $2,058.41 ↓ -61%
Mercy Care HMO/POS $2,190.36 ↓ -59%
Aspirus HMO/POS $2,375.09 ↓ -55%
Prevea 360 Commercial $5,607.86 ↑ +6%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Traditional $6,267.61 ↑ +19%
My Choice Managed Medicaid not published by hospital
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid not published by hospital
GHC HMO not published by hospital
GHC - Eau Claire Managed Medicaid not published by hospital
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Managed Medicaid not published by hospital
GHC - South Central WI Managed Medicaid not published by hospital
Dean Health Plan Managed Medicaid not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Conversion ext bil drg cath at other Wisconsin hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Madison $3,396.25 $2,608.32 – $9,052.00
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Milwaukee $8,202.81 $309.21 – $3,956.75
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $8,202.81 $309.21 – $3,956.75
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Janesville Janesville $2,513.50 $2,704.78 – $10,498.00
SSM Health Monroe Hospital Monroe $2,527.80 $3,477.76 – $10,137.00
Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital Franklin $2,341.01 $3,996.66 – $3,996.66
Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Inc. Milwaukee $2,341.01 $3,996.66 – $3,996.66
Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital - St. Joseph Campus Milwaukee $2,341.01 $3,996.66 – $3,996.66

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →