Darbepoetin alfa 100 mcg/0.5 ml in polysorbate injection syringe 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

$2,156.00

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.

$2,695.00

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.

$68.76 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $217.13 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 $68.76 ↓ -97%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $73.82 ↓ -97%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $74.55 ↓ -97%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $74.55 ↓ -97%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $74.55 ↓ -97%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $74.55 ↓ -97%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $74.55 ↓ -97%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $75.99 ↓ -96%
Wellmark HMO $120.63 ↓ -94%
Wellmark PPO $125.45 ↓ -94%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $129.26 ↓ -94%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $129.26 ↓ -94%
Security Health Plan Commercial $132.69 ↓ -94%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $152.06 ↓ -93%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $152.06 ↓ -93%
Health Partners State Employees $159.23 ↓ -93%
Health Partners Commercial $180.94 ↓ -92%
Medica Choice $199.03 ↓ -91%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $201.44 ↓ -91%
Aetna Commercial $209.65 ↓ -90%
Ucare Commercial $211.96 ↓ -90%
Medica Elect $212.78 ↓ -90%
Healthez Commercial $217.13 ↓ -90%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $217.13 ↓ -90%
Multiplan Commercial $217.13 ↓ -90%

Visitor-reported prices

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Darbepoetin alfa 100 mcg/0.5 ml in polysorbate injection syringe at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $6,866.96 $3.00 – $4.20
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $18,648.65 $2.96 – $932.45
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $18,648.65 $75.00 – $932.45
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $18,648.65 $75.00 – $1,049.57
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $18,648.65 $2.96 – $932.45
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $18,648.65 $75.00 – $932.45
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $18,648.65 $2.96 – $932.45
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $18,648.65 $75.00 – $974.60

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →