Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation 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

$35.39

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.

$79.00

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.

$22.04 with Aetna vs $76.63 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 $22.04 ↓ -38%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $24.49 ↓ -31%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $24.49 ↓ -31%
Medica Medicare Advantage $24.49 ↓ -31%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $24.49 ↓ -31%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $24.49 ↓ -31%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $29.39 ↓ -17%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $38.40 ↑ +9%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $39.45 ↑ +11%
Clear Spring Health Medicare Advantage $39.45 ↑ +11%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $40.63 ↑ +15%
Humana Medicare Advantage $41.82 ↑ +18%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $41.85 ↑ +18%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $43.40 ↑ +23%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $45.82 ↑ +29%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $47.83 ↑ +35%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $58.29 ↑ +65%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $60.03 ↑ +70%
Medica Commercial $65.81 ↑ +86%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $67.39 ↑ +90%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $71.10 ↑ +101%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $71.10 ↑ +101%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $73.47 ↑ +108%
United Healthcare Commercial $74.89 ↑ +112%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $75.05 ↑ +112%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $75.05 ↑ +112%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $75.05 ↑ +112%
Multiplan Commercial $76.63 ↑ +117%
Molina Healthcare Medicaid/CHIP not published by hospital
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp - VA CCN Tricare not published by hospital

Visitor-reported prices

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Cytopathology fluids/washings/brushings smears with interpretation at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $138.39 $38.27 – $268.85
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $129.90 $38.31 – $268.85
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $51.51 $33.29 – $76.63
AdventHealth Porter Denver $592.53 $38.61 – $72.89
CENTRAL PARK ER, A PART OF ROSE DENVER $1,183.00 $19.58 – $82.23
HCA HealthONE Rocky Mountain Children's at Presbyterian St. Luke's Denver $797.00 $27.41 – $82.23
HCA HealthONE SKY RIDGE Lone Tree $1,269.45 $24.61 – $82.23
HCA HealthONE SOUTH PARKER ER, A PART OF SKY RIDGE PARKER $1,269.45 $24.61 – $87.85

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →