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Head CT scan (with and without 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

$607.23

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.

$2,249.00

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.

$178.91 with Clear Spring Health vs $2,181.53 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 $178.91 ↓ -71%
United Healthcare UHC Medicare Advantage $178.91 ↓ -71%
Longevity Medicare Advantage $184.28 ↓ -70%
Humana Medicare Advantage $189.64 ↓ -69%
Devoted Health Services Medicare Advantage $196.80 ↓ -68%
Pinnacol Assurance Workers Comp Pinnacol Assurance WC $280.53 ↓ -54%
Aetna Medicare Advantage $627.47 ↑ +3%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Medicare $697.19 ↑ +15%
Banner Health Banner Choice Plus/Banner Select $697.19 ↑ +15%
HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc. Medicare Advantage $697.19 ↑ +15%
Medica Medicare Advantage $697.19 ↑ +15%
Medicare Traditional Medicare $697.19 ↑ +15%
Assist Health Group AHG Specialty Network $836.63 ↑ +38%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway Standard $1,191.30 ↑ +96%
United Healthcare Colorado Navigate/Colorado Option $1,304.42 ↑ +115%
Denver Health Medical Plan Commercial $1,361.77 ↑ +124%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Pathway $1,659.31 ↑ +173%
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Colorado Blue Priority/HMO/PPO/Indemnity $1,709.02 ↑ +181%
Medica Commercial $1,873.42 ↑ +209%
United Healthcare Colorado Doctor's Plan $1,918.40 ↑ +216%
Apostrophe, Inc. Commercial $2,024.10 ↑ +233%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,024.10 ↑ +233%
Aetna Commercial/Medical Rental $2,091.57 ↑ +244%
United Healthcare Commercial $2,132.05 ↑ +251%
First Choice of the Midwest Commercial $2,136.55 ↑ +252%
Hue Health, Inc Medicare Advantage $2,136.55 ↑ +252%
Rocky Mountain Health Plans Private Plan/Self Insured Plan $2,136.55 ↑ +252%
Multiplan Commercial $2,181.53 ↑ +259%
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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Head CT scan (with and without contrast) at other Colorado hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
Banner Fort Collins Medical Center Fort Collins $564.13 $173.54 – $1,604.55
Banner North Colorado Medical Center - Loveland Campus Loveland $547.24 $88.40 – $1,604.55
East Morgan County Hospital Brush $1,277.43 $54.78 – $126.10

All Colorado hospitals for this procedure →