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Brain MRI (with contrast) 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

$797.98

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.

$2,347.00

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.

$358.91 with Clear Spring Health vs $2,276.59 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 $358.91 ↓ -55%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $358.91 ↓ -55%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $369.68 ↓ -54%
Humana Medicare Advantage $380.44 ↓ -52%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $394.80 ↓ -51%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $562.77 ↓ -29%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $654.81 ↓ -18%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $727.57 ↓ -9%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $727.57 ↓ -9%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $727.57 ↓ -9%
Medica Medicare Advantage $727.57 ↓ -9%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $727.57 ↓ -9%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $873.08 ↑ +9%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $1,243.21 ↑ +56%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $1,361.26 ↑ +71%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $1,421.11 ↑ +78%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $1,731.62 ↑ +117%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $1,783.49 ↑ +124%
Medica Commercial $1,955.05 ↑ +145%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $2,001.99 ↑ +151%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $2,112.30 ↑ +165%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,112.30 ↑ +165%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $2,182.71 ↑ +174%
United Healthcare Commercial $2,224.96 ↑ +179%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $2,229.65 ↑ +179%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $2,229.65 ↑ +179%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $2,229.65 ↑ +179%
Multiplan Commercial $2,276.59 ↑ +185%
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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Brain MRI (with contrast) at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $591.17 $348.14 – $1,811.65
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $547.31 $348.58 – $1,811.65
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $1,551.37 $77.12 – $177.51

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →