Assay of breath ethanol 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

$29.70

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.

$90.00

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.

$25.11 with Aetna vs $87.30 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 $25.11 ↓ -15%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $27.90 ↓ -6%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $27.90 ↓ -6%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $27.90 ↓ -6%
Medica Medicare Advantage $27.90 ↓ -6%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $27.90 ↓ -6%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $30.00 ↑ +1%
Clear Spring Health Medicare Advantage $30.00 ↑ +1%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $30.90 ↑ +4%
Humana Medicare Advantage $31.80 ↑ +7%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $33.00 ↑ +11%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $33.48 ↑ +13%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $43.75 ↑ +47%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $47.67 ↑ +61%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $52.20 ↑ +76%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $54.49 ↑ +83%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $66.40 ↑ +124%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $68.39 ↑ +130%
Medica Commercial $74.97 ↑ +152%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $76.77 ↑ +158%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $81.00 ↑ +173%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $81.00 ↑ +173%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $83.70 ↑ +182%
United Healthcare Commercial $85.32 ↑ +187%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $85.50 ↑ +188%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $85.50 ↑ +188%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $85.50 ↑ +188%
Multiplan Commercial $87.30 ↑ +194%
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Assay of breath ethanol at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $20.70 $23.13 – $85.50
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $55.44 $37.93 – $87.30
AdventHealth Porter Denver $191.66 $0.02 – $55.50
AdventHealth Littleton Littleton $191.66 $0.02 – $55.50
AdventHealth Avista Louisville $191.66 $0.02 – $55.50
AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock $191.66 $0.02 – $55.50
AdventHealth Parker Parker $191.66 $0.02 – $55.50
HCA HealthONE AURORA Aurora not published $15.99 – $72.90

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →