Cytopathology concentration technique smears & interpretation 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

$304.00

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.

$380.00

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.

$108.30 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $342.00 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 $108.30 ↓ -64%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $116.28 ↓ -62%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $117.42 ↓ -61%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $117.42 ↓ -61%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $117.42 ↓ -61%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $117.42 ↓ -61%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $117.42 ↓ -61%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $119.70 ↓ -61%
Wellmark HMO $190.00 ↓ -38%
Wellmark PPO $197.60 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $203.60 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $203.60 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $209.00 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $239.51 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $239.51 ↓ -21%
Health Partners State Employees $250.80 ↓ -18%
Health Partners Commercial $285.00 ↓ -6%
Medica Choice $313.50 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $317.30 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $330.22 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $333.87 ↑ +10%
Medica Elect $335.16 ↑ +10%
Healthez Commercial $342.00 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $342.00 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $342.00 ↑ +13%

Visitor-reported prices

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Cytopathology concentration technique smears & interpretation at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $56.40 $37.57 – $48.75
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $99.45 $33.51 – $153.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $124.80 $76.01 – $192.00
MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines $171.00 $33.96 – $171.00
MercyOne Centerville Medical Center Centerville $192.00 $52.68 – $192.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $124.80 $35.35 – $192.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $63.00 $37.57 – $52.60
MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center DeWitt $50.40 $28.56 – $61.32

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →