Assay of interleukin-6 (il-6) 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

$35.97

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.

$109.00

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.

$17.27 with United Healthcare vs $105.73 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
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $17.27 ↓ -52%
Clear Spring Health Medicare Advantage $17.27 ↓ -52%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $17.79 ↓ -51%
Humana Medicare Advantage $18.31 ↓ -49%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $19.00 ↓ -47%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $27.08 ↓ -25%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $30.41 ↓ -15%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $33.79 ↓ -6%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $33.79 ↓ -6%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $33.79 ↓ -6%
Medica Medicare Advantage $33.79 ↓ -6%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $33.79 ↓ -6%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $40.55 ↑ +13%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $57.74 ↑ +61%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $63.22 ↑ +76%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $66.00 ↑ +83%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $80.42 ↑ +124%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $82.83 ↑ +130%
Medica Commercial $90.80 ↑ +152%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $92.98 ↑ +158%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $98.10 ↑ +173%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $98.10 ↑ +173%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $101.37 ↑ +182%
United Healthcare Commercial $103.33 ↑ +187%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $103.55 ↑ +188%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $103.55 ↑ +188%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $103.55 ↑ +188%
Multiplan Commercial $105.73 ↑ +194%
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Assay of interleukin-6 (il-6) at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $24.74 $16.75 – $103.55
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $25.07 $16.75 – $103.55
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $67.14 $45.93 – $105.73
AdventHealth Porter Denver $122.58 $16.92 – $31.95
HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's Denver $475.75 $11.01 – $41.97
HCA HealthONE SKY RIDGE Lone Tree $404.71 $9.88 – $41.97
HCA HealthONE SOUTH PARKER ER, A PART OF SKY RIDGE PARKER $404.71 $9.88 – $78.66
HCA HealthONE PRESBYTERIAN ST. LUKE'S REHABILITATION, A PART OF SPALDING REHABILITATION Denver $704.74 $17.10 – $18.13

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →