Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) 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

$868.00

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.

Full explanation →

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

$1,085.00

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.

$309.23 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $976.50 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 $309.23 ↓ -64%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $332.01 ↓ -62%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $335.27 ↓ -61%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $335.27 ↓ -61%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $335.27 ↓ -61%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $335.27 ↓ -61%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $335.27 ↓ -61%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $341.78 ↓ -61%
Wellmark HMO $542.50 ↓ -38%
Wellmark PPO $564.20 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $581.34 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $581.34 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $596.75 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $683.88 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $683.88 ↓ -21%
Health Partners State Employees $716.10 ↓ -18%
Health Partners Commercial $813.75 ↓ -6%
Medica Choice $895.13 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $905.98 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $942.87 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $953.28 ↑ +10%
Medica Elect $956.97 ↑ +10%
Healthez Commercial $976.50 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $976.50 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $976.50 ↑ +13%

Visitor-reported prices

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Arthrocentesis/aspiration/injection major joint/bursa w/ultrasound guidance (both sides) at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $621.00 $282.56 – $395.59
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $1,514.50 $275.38 – $1,553.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $2,039.05 $15.98 – $2,091.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $2,550.25 $289.18 – $3,576.15
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $1,936.90 $88.83 – $1,247.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $3,632.00 $15.98 – $178.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $2,360.80 $290.55 – $2,421.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $2,166.40 $18.85 – $1,172.00

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →