Arthrocentesis aspir+/injection small jt/bursa with Ultrasound 20604 at Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.)

2301 N Lake Dr, Milwaukee, WI · Ascension · · NPI 1871656082

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Jan 1, 2026 · Ingested Sep 8, 2026

$502.97

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$949.00

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.

$73.34 with NETWORK HEALTH PLAN vs $632.19 with MOLINA HEALTH MARKETPLACE — 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
NETWORK HEALTH PLAN 1136_NETWORK HEALTH PLAN 20221001 $73.34 ↓ -85%
ALLIANCE 1066_ALLIANCE 20220101 $255.32 ↓ -49%
MEDICARE REPLACEMENT 1109_MEDICARE REPLACEMENT OUTPATIENT 20220701 $287.36 ↓ -43%
MEDICARE REPLACEMENT 1116_MEDICARE REPLACEMENT INPATIENT 20221001 $287.36 ↓ -43%
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION 1064_VETERANS ADMINISTRATION OUTPATIENT 20220101 $287.36 ↓ -43%
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION 1114_VETERANS ADMINISTRATION INPATIENT 20221001 $287.36 ↓ -43%
HUMANA PPO 1133_HUMANA PPO 20221001 $303.07 ↓ -40%
HUMANA HMO POS 1127_HUMANA 20221001 $303.07 ↓ -40%
HUMANA PREFERRED 1134_HUMANA PREFERRED 20221001 $303.07 ↓ -40%
UHC NON OPTIONS PPO 1130_UNITED HEALTH CARE NONOPTIONS 20221001 $303.07 ↓ -40%
MOLINA HEALTH MARKETPLACE 1060_MOLINA MARKETPLACE OUTPATIENT 20220101 $632.19 ↑ +26%
MOLINA HEALTH MARKETPLACE 1111_MOLINA MARKETPLACE INPATIENT 20221001 $632.19 ↑ +26%

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis aspir+/injection small jt/bursa with Ultrasound 20604 at other Wisconsin hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Inc. Milwaukee $433.54 $263.08 – $401.30
Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital - St. Joseph Campus Milwaukee $433.54 $263.08 – $401.30
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $502.97 $73.34 – $632.19
UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital Madison $2,295.63 $41.84 – $895.29
SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Baraboo Baraboo $675.95 $223.61 – $4,401.00
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Madison $682.55 $223.61 – $4,198.00
SSM Health Monroe Hospital Monroe $683.65 $298.15 – $4,217.00
SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital Ripon $1,147.85 $1,887.00 – $2,654.00

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →