Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) 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

$693.95

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.

$1,629.00

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.

$302.99 with Aetna vs $1,053.42 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 $302.99 ↓ -56%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $336.66 ↓ -51%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $336.66 ↓ -51%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $336.66 ↓ -51%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $336.66 ↓ -51%
Medica Medicare Advantage $336.66 ↓ -51%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $403.99 ↓ -42%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $527.90 ↓ -24%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $575.25 ↓ -17%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $629.88 ↓ -9%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $657.57 ↓ -5%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $801.25 ↑ +15%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $825.25 ↑ +19%
Medica Commercial $904.64 ↑ +30%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $926.36 ↑ +33%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $977.40 ↑ +41%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $977.40 ↑ +41%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $1,009.98 ↑ +46%
United Healthcare Commercial $1,029.53 ↑ +48%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $1,031.70 ↑ +49%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $1,031.70 ↑ +49%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $1,031.70 ↑ +49%
Multiplan Commercial $1,053.42 ↑ +52%
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare not published by hospital
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $648.52 $449.77 – $8,568.00
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $735.76 $281.93 – $8,568.00
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $1,154.96 $115.89 – $266.75
AdventHealth Porter Denver $3,223.56 $103.88 – $1,083.00
AdventHealth Littleton Littleton $3,223.56 $103.88 – $1,083.00
AdventHealth Avista Louisville $3,223.56 $103.88 – $1,083.00
AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock $3,223.56 $103.88 – $1,083.00
AdventHealth Parker Parker $3,223.56 $103.88 – $1,083.00

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →