Abdominal paracentesis w/image guidance at Sterling Regional Medical Center

615 Fairhurst Street, Sterling, CO · Banner Health · · NPI 1942238555

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 2, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$528.67

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.

$1,241.00

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.

$346.24 with Aetna vs $1,203.77 with Multiplan — 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
Aetna Medicare Advantage $346.24 ↓ -35%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $384.71 ↓ -27%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $384.71 ↓ -27%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $384.71 ↓ -27%
Medica Medicare Advantage $384.71 ↓ -27%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $384.71 ↓ -27%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $461.65 ↓ -13%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $603.25 ↑ +14%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $657.36 ↑ +24%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $719.78 ↑ +36%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $751.43 ↑ +42%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $915.61 ↑ +73%
Clear Spring Health Medicare Advantage $942.23 ↑ +78%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $942.23 ↑ +78%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $943.04 ↑ +78%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $970.50 ↑ +84%
Humana Medicare Advantage $998.76 ↑ +89%
Medica Commercial $1,033.75 ↑ +96%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $1,036.45 ↑ +96%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $1,058.57 ↑ +100%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $1,116.90 ↑ +111%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $1,116.90 ↑ +111%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $1,154.13 ↑ +118%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,176.47 ↑ +123%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $1,178.95 ↑ +123%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $1,178.95 ↑ +123%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $1,178.95 ↑ +123%
Multiplan Commercial $1,203.77 ↑ +128%
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Abdominal paracentesis w/image guidance at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $632.37 $658.05 – $13,923.00
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $717.44 $412.49 – $13,923.00
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $879.87 $94.81 – $218.25
AdventHealth Porter Denver $6,528.41 $185.87 – $1,770.01
AdventHealth Littleton Littleton $6,528.41 $185.87 – $1,770.01
AdventHealth Avista Louisville $6,528.41 $185.87 – $1,789.66
AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock $6,528.41 $185.87 – $1,770.01
AdventHealth Parker Parker $6,528.41 $185.87 – $1,770.01

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →