Collar cerv 18.25x3.5in serp firm density sm 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

$56.00

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.

$70.00

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.

$7.70 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $24.30 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 $7.70 ↓ -86%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $8.26 ↓ -85%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $8.34 ↓ -85%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $8.34 ↓ -85%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $8.34 ↓ -85%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $8.34 ↓ -85%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $8.34 ↓ -85%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $8.51 ↓ -85%
Wellmark HMO $13.50 ↓ -76%
Wellmark PPO $14.04 ↓ -75%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $14.47 ↓ -74%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $14.47 ↓ -74%
Security Health Plan Commercial $14.85 ↓ -73%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $17.02 ↓ -70%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $17.02 ↓ -70%
Health Partners State Employees $17.82 ↓ -68%
Health Partners Commercial $20.25 ↓ -64%
Medica Choice $22.28 ↓ -60%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $22.55 ↓ -60%
Aetna Commercial $23.46 ↓ -58%
Ucare Commercial $23.72 ↓ -58%
Medica Elect $23.81 ↓ -57%
Healthez Commercial $24.30 ↓ -57%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $24.30 ↓ -57%
Multiplan Commercial $24.30 ↓ -57%

Visitor-reported prices

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Collar cerv 18.25x3.5in serp firm density sm at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $78.00 not published
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $44.47 $0.46 – $2.36
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $52.78 $3.74 – $9.44
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $44.47 $0.89 – $2.66
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $44.47 $0.46 – $2.36
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $44.47 $0.90 – $2.36
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $44.47 $0.41 – $2.36
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $44.47 $1.21 – $2.47

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →