Assay of corticosterone 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

$27.39

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.

$83.00

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.

$22.52 with Clear Spring Health vs $80.51 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
Clear Spring Health Medicare Advantage $22.52 ↓ -18%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $22.52 ↓ -18%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $23.16 ↓ -15%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $23.20 ↓ -15%
Humana Medicare Advantage $23.87 ↓ -13%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $24.77 ↓ -10%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $25.73 ↓ -6%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $25.73 ↓ -6%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $25.73 ↓ -6%
Medica Medicare Advantage $25.73 ↓ -6%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $25.73 ↓ -6%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $30.88 ↑ +13%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $35.31 ↑ +29%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $43.97 ↑ +61%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $48.14 ↑ +76%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $50.26 ↑ +83%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $61.24 ↑ +124%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $63.07 ↑ +130%
Medica Commercial $69.14 ↑ +152%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $70.80 ↑ +158%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $74.70 ↑ +173%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $74.70 ↑ +173%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $77.19 ↑ +182%
United Healthcare Commercial $78.68 ↑ +187%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $78.85 ↑ +188%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $78.85 ↑ +188%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $78.85 ↑ +188%
Multiplan Commercial $80.51 ↑ +194%
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Assay of corticosterone at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $18.84 $21.84 – $78.85
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $19.09 $21.33 – $78.85
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $51.13 $34.98 – $80.51
HCA HealthONE AURORA Aurora $421.67 $12.00 – $54.72
HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's Denver $326.50 $14.35 – $54.72
AdventHealth Porter Denver not published $22.07 – $41.66
HCA HealthONE SKY RIDGE Lone Tree not published $12.88 – $54.72
HCA HealthONE SOUTH PARKER ER, A PART OF SKY RIDGE PARKER not published $12.88 – $78.66

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →