Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe sars-cov-2/inf a & b 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

$349.60

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.

$437.00

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.

$124.55 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $393.30 with First Choice Health Network — 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 $124.55 ↓ -64%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $133.72 ↓ -62%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $135.03 ↓ -61%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $135.03 ↓ -61%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $135.03 ↓ -61%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $135.03 ↓ -61%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $135.03 ↓ -61%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $137.66 ↓ -61%
Wellmark HMO $218.50 ↓ -38%
Wellmark PPO $227.24 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $234.14 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $234.14 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $240.35 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $275.44 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $275.44 ↓ -21%
Health Partners State Employees $288.42 ↓ -18%
Health Partners Commercial $327.75 ↓ -6%
Medica Choice $360.53 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $364.90 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $379.75 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $383.95 ↑ +10%
Medica Elect $385.43 ↑ +10%
Multiplan Commercial $393.30 ↑ +13%
Healthez Commercial $393.30 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $393.30 ↑ +13%

Visitor-reported prices

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Infectious agent nucleic acid amplified probe sars-cov-2/inf a & b at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $176.40 $142.63 – $142.63
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $361.40 $138.21 – $556.00
MercyOne New Hampton Medical Center New Hampton $361.40 $220.12 – $556.00
MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center Dyersville $361.40 $210.17 – $625.83
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $361.40 $138.21 – $556.00
MercyOne Oelwein Medical Center Oelwein $361.40 $212.50 – $556.00
MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center Cedar Falls $361.40 $130.66 – $556.00
MercyOne Elkader Medical Center Elkader $361.40 $286.17 – $581.13

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →