Azithromycin 500 mg intravenous solution 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

$65.52

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.

$81.90

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.

$22.06 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $69.65 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 $22.06 ↓ -66%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $23.68 ↓ -64%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $23.91 ↓ -64%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $23.91 ↓ -64%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $23.91 ↓ -64%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $23.91 ↓ -64%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $23.91 ↓ -64%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $24.38 ↓ -63%
Wellmark HMO $38.70 ↓ -41%
Wellmark PPO $40.24 ↓ -39%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $41.47 ↓ -37%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $41.47 ↓ -37%
Security Health Plan Commercial $42.56 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $48.78 ↓ -26%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $48.78 ↓ -26%
Health Partners State Employees $51.08 ↓ -22%
Health Partners Commercial $58.04 ↓ -11%
Medica Choice $63.85 ↓ -3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $64.62 ↓ -1%
Aetna Commercial $67.25 ↑ +3%
Ucare Commercial $67.99 ↑ +4%
Medica Elect $68.26 ↑ +4%
Healthez Commercial $69.65 ↑ +6%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $69.65 ↑ +6%
Multiplan Commercial $69.65 ↑ +6%

Visitor-reported prices

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Azithromycin 500 mg intravenous solution at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $77.40 not published
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $9.20 $2.61 – $8.75
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $9.20 $2.61 – $8.75
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $9.20 $2.61 – $9.85
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $9.20 $2.48 – $8.75
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $23.50 $2.61 – $8.75
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $23.50 $2.06 – $14.80
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $9.20 $2.61 – $9.15

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →