Crystal identification light microscopy 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

$11.62

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.

$22.00

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.

$6.14 with Aetna vs $21.34 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 $6.14 ↓ -47%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $6.82 ↓ -41%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $6.82 ↓ -41%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $6.82 ↓ -41%
Medica Medicare Advantage $6.82 ↓ -41%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $6.82 ↓ -41%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $7.33 ↓ -37%
Clear Spring Health Medicare Advantage $7.33 ↓ -37%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $7.55 ↓ -35%
Humana Medicare Advantage $7.77 ↓ -33%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $8.06 ↓ -31%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $8.18 ↓ -30%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $10.69 ↓ -8%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $11.65 ↑ +0%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $12.76 ↑ +10%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $13.32 ↑ +15%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $16.23 ↑ +40%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $16.72 ↑ +44%
Medica Commercial $18.33 ↑ +58%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $18.77 ↑ +62%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $19.80 ↑ +70%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $19.80 ↑ +70%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $20.46 ↑ +76%
United Healthcare Commercial $20.86 ↑ +80%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $20.90 ↑ +80%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $20.90 ↑ +80%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $20.90 ↑ +80%
Multiplan Commercial $21.34 ↑ +84%
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Crystal identification light microscopy at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $8.49 $7.11 – $20.90
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $9.31 $5.65 – $20.90
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $19.38 $9.27 – $21.34
AdventHealth Porter Denver $291.78 $7.18 – $13.56
HCA HealthONE SOUTH PARKER ER, A PART OF SKY RIDGE PARKER $285.00 $4.19 – $97.04
HCA HealthONE PRESBYTERIAN ST. LUKE'S REHABILITATION, A PART OF SPALDING REHABILITATION Denver $187.92 $7.26 – $7.70
AdventHealth Littleton Littleton $291.78 $7.18 – $13.56
AdventHealth Avista Louisville $291.78 $7.18 – $13.56

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →