CT t-spine w /wo contrast 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

$5,086.29

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.

$6,357.86

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.

$55.96 with United Healthcare vs $6,039.97 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 $55.96 ↓ -99%
IlliniCare Medicare Advantage $55.96 ↓ -99%
Prevea 360 Medicare Advantage $55.96 ↓ -99%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $55.96 ↓ -99%
Aspirus Medicare Advantage $55.96 ↓ -99%
MeridianCare Medicare Advantage $58.76 ↓ -99%
Humana Medicare Advantage $58.76 ↓ -99%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $122.29 ↓ -98%
United Healthcare Commercial $143.01 ↓ -97%
Medical Associates Health Plan HMO/POS/PPO $185.23 ↓ -96%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Priority/Pathway $657.00 ↓ -87%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO/POS $733.00 ↓ -86%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $1,098.00 ↓ -78%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $1,098.00 ↓ -78%
Aspirus PPO $1,462.31 ↓ -71%
Cigna Commercial $1,907.36 ↓ -62%
Security Health Plan HMO/POS/SAS $1,970.94 ↓ -61%
Quartz HMO $1,983.65 ↓ -61%
Mercy Care HMO/POS $2,110.81 ↓ -59%
Aspirus HMO/POS $2,288.83 ↓ -55%
Prevea 360 Commercial $5,404.18 ↑ +6%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Traditional $6,039.97 ↑ +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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CT t-spine w /wo contrast at other Wisconsin hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Madison $2,845.70 $127.78 – $1,695.46
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Milwaukee $1,396.02 $99.60 – $401.74
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $1,816.31 $99.60 – $401.74
SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Baraboo Baraboo $1,778.70 $127.78 – $2,251.78
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Janesville Janesville $2,459.60 $132.50 – $1,615.98
SSM Health Monroe Hospital Monroe $2,919.40 $170.37 – $549.64
SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital Ripon $1,648.90 $693.42 – $693.42
SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital - Fond du Lac Fond Du Lac $1,648.90 $130.12 – $334.84

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →