Blood smear microscopic w manual differential wbc count 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

$21.10

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.

$63.00

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.

$3.80 with United Healthcare vs $52.38 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 $3.80 ↓ -82%
Clear Spring Health Medicare Advantage $3.80 ↓ -82%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $3.91 ↓ -81%
Humana Medicare Advantage $4.03 ↓ -81%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $4.18 ↓ -80%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $5.96 ↓ -72%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $15.07 ↓ -29%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $16.74 ↓ -21%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $16.74 ↓ -21%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $16.74 ↓ -21%
Medica Medicare Advantage $16.74 ↓ -21%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $16.74 ↓ -21%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $20.09 ↓ -5%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $28.60 ↑ +36%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $31.32 ↑ +48%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $32.70 ↑ +55%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $35.15 ↑ +67%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $36.10 ↑ +71%
Medica Commercial $44.98 ↑ +113%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $46.06 ↑ +118%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $48.60 ↑ +130%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $48.60 ↑ +130%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $50.22 ↑ +138%
United Healthcare Commercial $51.19 ↑ +143%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $51.30 ↑ +143%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $51.30 ↑ +143%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $51.30 ↑ +143%
Multiplan Commercial $52.38 ↑ +148%
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Blood smear microscopic w manual differential wbc count at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $5.51 $3.69 – $51.30
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $15.23 $3.69 – $51.30
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $33.64 $22.76 – $52.38
AdventHealth Porter Denver $55.06 $3.72 – $7.03
AdventHealth Littleton Littleton $55.06 $3.72 – $7.03
AdventHealth Avista Louisville $55.06 $3.72 – $7.03
AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock $55.06 $3.72 – $7.03
AdventHealth Parker Parker $55.06 $3.72 – $7.03

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →