X-ray lumbosacral spine >= 4 views 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

$925.86

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.

$1,157.32

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.

$11.92 with United Healthcare vs $361.08 with Quartz — 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 $11.92 ↓ -99%
IlliniCare Medicare Advantage $11.92 ↓ -99%
Prevea 360 Medicare Advantage $11.92 ↓ -99%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage $11.92 ↓ -99%
Aspirus Medicare Advantage $11.92 ↓ -99%
MeridianCare Medicare Advantage $12.52 ↓ -99%
Humana Medicare Advantage $12.52 ↓ -99%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Priority/Pathway $24.08 ↓ -97%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield HMO/POS $28.37 ↓ -97%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield PPO $28.37 ↓ -97%
Wellmark UPH Self-Funded Commercial $28.37 ↓ -97%
United Healthcare Commercial $29.50 ↓ -97%
Health Partners Open Network Commercial $30.58 ↓ -97%
Medical Associates Health Plan HMO/POS/PPO $39.46 ↓ -96%
Aspirus PPO $65.09 ↓ -93%
Cigna Commercial $79.24 ↓ -91%
Security Health Plan HMO/POS/SAS $84.90 ↓ -91%
Aspirus HMO/POS $99.05 ↓ -89%
Mercy Care HMO/POS $99.05 ↓ -89%
Prevea 360 Commercial $240.55 ↓ -74%
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Traditional $268.85 ↓ -71%
Quartz HMO $361.08 ↓ -61%
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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X-ray lumbosacral spine >= 4 views at other Wisconsin hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Madison $523.60 $76.16 – $266.08
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Milwaukee $293.09 $20.64 – $245.18
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $293.09 $20.64 – $245.18
SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Baraboo Baraboo $609.95 $76.16 – $353.41
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Janesville Janesville $770.55 $78.98 – $253.62
SSM Health Monroe Hospital Monroe $253.55 $86.22 – $101.55
SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital Ripon $304.15 $108.83 – $108.83
SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital - Fond du Lac Fond Du Lac $304.15 $77.56 – $199.58

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →