Contrast x-ray of wrist at Ascension St. Francis Hospital, Inc.

3237 S. 16th St, Milwaukee, WI · Ascension · · NPI 1225087190

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

$207.76

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.

$392.00

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.

$96.70 with WPS vs $828.27 with UNITED HEALTH CARE — 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 $96.70 ↓ -53%
TRILOGY 1271_TRILOGY 20250701 $204.00 ↓ -2%
CIGNA 1273_CIGNA 20250701 $305.76 ↑ +47%
MEDICARE REPLACEMENT 1321_MEDICARE REPLACEMENT INPATIENT 20251001 $346.78 ↑ +67%
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION 1323_VETERAN ADMINISTRATION INPATIENT 20251001 $346.78 ↑ +67%
VETERANS ADMINISTRATION 1208_VETERAN ADMINISTRATION OUTPATIENT 20250101 $346.78 ↑ +67%
MEDICARE REPLACEMENT 1205_MEDICARE REPLACEMENT OUTPATIENT 20250101 $346.78 ↑ +67%
SMART HEALTH 1206_SMARTHEALTH OUTPATIENT 20250101 $485.49 ↑ +134%
SMART HEALTH 1317_SMARTHEALTH INPATIENT 20251001 $485.49 ↑ +134%
UNITED HEALTH CARE 1282_UNITED HEALTH CARE 20250701 $828.27 ↑ +299%

Visitor-reported prices

visitor-reported
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Contrast x-ray of wrist 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 $496.61 $44.42 – $828.27
Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital - St. Joseph Campus Milwaukee $207.76 $96.70 – $828.27
Ascension Columbia St. Mary's Hospital - Ozaukee Campus (Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee, Inc.) Mequon $496.61 $44.42 – $828.27
UnityPoint Health - Meriter Hospital Madison $1,312.72 $25.02 – $544.78
SSM Health St. Clare Hospital - Baraboo Baraboo $439.45 $254.15 – $843.44
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Janesville Janesville $543.40 $263.55 – $605.31
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison Madison $620.95 $254.15 – $635.07
SSM Health Monroe Hospital Monroe $514.80 $208.01 – $338.87

All Wisconsin hospitals for this procedure →