Abdominal paracentesis w/image guidance at Sanford Sheldon Medical Center

118 N 7th Ave, Sheldon, IA · Sanford Health · · NPI 1841200623

Source: hospital's published price file ↗ · Published Mar 4, 2026 · Ingested Aug 12, 2026

$1,884.00

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.

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What you pay up front if you don't use insurance.

$2,355.00

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.

$671.18 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $2,119.50 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
Sanford Health Plan Align Medicare Replacement $671.18 ↓ -64%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $720.63 ↓ -62%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $727.70 ↓ -61%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $727.70 ↓ -61%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $727.70 ↓ -61%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $727.70 ↓ -61%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $727.70 ↓ -61%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $741.83 ↓ -61%
Wellmark HMO $1,177.50 ↓ -38%
Wellmark PPO $1,224.60 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $1,261.81 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $1,261.81 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $1,295.25 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $1,484.36 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $1,484.36 ↓ -21%
Health Partners State Employees $1,554.30 ↓ -18%
Health Partners Commercial $1,766.25 ↓ -6%
Medica Choice $1,942.88 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $1,966.43 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $2,046.50 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $2,069.10 ↑ +10%
Medica Elect $2,077.11 ↑ +10%
Healthez Commercial $2,119.50 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $2,119.50 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $2,119.50 ↑ +13%

Visitor-reported prices

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Abdominal paracentesis w/image guidance at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $912.60 $897.45 – $988.65
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $1,042.60 $572.63 – $1,812.24
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $391.00 $29.61 – $225.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $1,661.13 $663.07 – $2,343.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $1,333.80 $1,056.16 – $2,144.75
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $10,246.00 $29.61 – $10,246.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $6,659.90 $29.61 – $10,246.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $2,052.00 $563.07 – $2,052.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →