Bone Density Scan (DEXA) at Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital - St. Joseph Campus

5000 W. Chambers St, Milwaukee, WI · Ascension · · NPI 1427007384

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

$173.84

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.

$328.00

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.

$34.88 with WPS vs $255.84 with CIGNA — 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
WPS 1272_WISCONSIN PHYSICIAN SERVICES PPO 20250701 $34.88 ↓ -80%
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION 1323_VETERAN ADMINISTRATION INPATIENT 20251001 $103.26 ↓ -41%
MEDICARE REPLACEMENT 1205_MEDICARE REPLACEMENT OUTPATIENT 20250101 $103.26 ↓ -41%
MEDICARE REPLACEMENT 1321_MEDICARE REPLACEMENT INPATIENT 20251001 $103.26 ↓ -41%
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION 1208_VETERAN ADMINISTRATION OUTPATIENT 20250101 $103.26 ↓ -41%
SMART HEALTH 1317_SMARTHEALTH INPATIENT 20251001 $144.56 ↓ -17%
SMART HEALTH 1206_SMARTHEALTH OUTPATIENT 20250101 $144.56 ↓ -17%
TRILOGY 1271_TRILOGY 20250701 $204.00 ↑ +17%
UNITED HEALTH CARE 1282_UNITED HEALTH CARE 20250701 $245.18 ↑ +41%
CIGNA 1273_CIGNA 20250701 $255.84 ↑ +47%

Visitor-reported prices

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Bone Density Scan (DEXA) at other Wisconsin hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Milwaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Milwaukee $251.22 $15.54 – $245.18
Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Inc. Milwaukee $173.84 $34.88 – $245.18
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $307.40 $15.54 – $245.18
UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital Madison $859.38 $8.74 – $335.16
SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Baraboo Baraboo $335.50 $76.16 – $334.11
SSM Health Monroe Hospital Monroe $151.65 $82.41 – $101.55
SSM Health Ripon Community Hospital Ripon $304.15 $102.88 – $102.88
SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital - Fond du Lac Fond Du Lac $304.15 $77.56 – $199.58

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →