Pq vrtbrplst 1 bdy inj lmb-scr w/img ini 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

$7,061.28

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.

$8,826.59

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.

$365.87 with United Healthcare vs $8,385.26 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 $365.87 ↓ -95%
IlliniCare Medicare Advantage $365.87 ↓ -95%
Prevea 360 Medicare Advantage $365.87 ↓ -95%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $365.87 ↓ -95%
Aspirus Medicare Advantage $365.87 ↓ -95%
MeridianCare Medicare Advantage $384.16 ↓ -95%
Humana Medicare Advantage $384.16 ↓ -95%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $802.28 ↓ -89%
United Healthcare Commercial $912.39 ↓ -87%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Priority/Pathway $1,119.56 ↓ -84%
Medical Associates Health Plan HMO/POS/PPO $1,214.69 ↓ -83%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $1,222.01 ↓ -83%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO/POS $1,222.01 ↓ -83%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $1,222.01 ↓ -83%
Aspirus PPO $2,030.12 ↓ -71%
Cigna Commercial $2,647.98 ↓ -63%
Security Health Plan HMO/POS/SAS $2,736.24 ↓ -61%
Quartz HMO $2,753.90 ↓ -61%
Mercy Care HMO/POS $2,930.43 ↓ -59%
Aspirus HMO/POS $3,177.57 ↓ -55%
Prevea 360 Commercial $7,502.60 ↑ +6%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Traditional $8,385.26 ↑ +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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Pq vrtbrplst 1 bdy inj lmb-scr w/img ini at other Wisconsin hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Madison $4,010.05 $2,383.65 – $9,052.00
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Milwaukee $2,589.58 $642.12 – $7,194.11
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $2,589.58 $642.12 – $7,194.11
SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital Ripon $4,538.60 $3,735.00 – $8,770.00
SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital - Fond du Lac Fond Du Lac $4,538.60 $2,427.27 – $8,770.00
SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital Waupun $4,538.60 $3,735.00 – $8,770.00
Ascension NE Wisconsin - Mercy Campus (Ascension NE Wisconsin, Inc.) Oshkosh $10,571.22 $417.78 – $6,579.98
Ascension NE Wisconsin - St. Elizabeth Campus (Ascension NE Wisconsin, Inc.) Appleton $10,571.22 $417.78 – $6,579.98

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →