ER Visit (level 3) 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

$1,304.15

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.

$1,630.18

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.

$12.65 with Aspirus vs $144.56 with United Healthcare — 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
Aspirus PPO $12.65 ↓ -99%
Cigna Commercial $16.50 ↓ -99%
Security Health Plan HMO/POS/SAS $17.05 ↓ -99%
Quartz HMO $17.16 ↓ -99%
Mercy Care HMO/POS $18.26 ↓ -99%
Medical Associates Health Plan HMO/POS/PPO $19.80 ↓ -98%
Aspirus HMO/POS $19.80 ↓ -98%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $20.08 ↓ -98%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Priority/Pathway $23.29 ↓ -98%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO/POS $28.58 ↓ -98%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $31.75 ↓ -98%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $31.75 ↓ -98%
Aspirus Medicare Advantage $33.00 ↓ -97%
Prevea 360 Commercial $46.75 ↓ -96%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Traditional $52.25 ↓ -96%
Prevea 360 Medicare Advantage $64.30 ↓ -95%
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage $64.30 ↓ -95%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $64.30 ↓ -95%
IlliniCare Medicare Advantage $64.30 ↓ -95%
MeridianCare Medicare Advantage $67.52 ↓ -95%
Humana Medicare Advantage $67.52 ↓ -95%
United Healthcare Commercial $144.56 ↓ -89%
Dean Health Plan Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
GHC - Eau Claire Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
My Choice Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
GHC HMO not published by hospital —
United Healthcare Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —
GHC - South Central WI Managed Medicaid not published by hospital —

Visitor-reported prices

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ER Visit (level 3) at other Wisconsin hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Madison $1,062.60 $198.86 – $265.15
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Milwaukee $1,034.56 $114.58 – $593.01
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $1,034.56 $114.58 – $593.01
SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Baraboo Baraboo $498.85 $198.86 – $265.15
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Janesville Janesville $663.30 $206.22 – $274.96
SSM Health Monroe Hospital Monroe $614.35 $265.15 – $265.15
SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital Ripon $544.50 not published
SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital - Fond du Lac Fond Du Lac $544.50 $202.50 – $521.11

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →