X-ray thoracolumbar spine including skull cervical & sacral spine 1 view 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

$326.40

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.

$408.00

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.

$116.28 with Sanford Health Plan Align vs $367.20 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 $116.28 ↓ -64%
Ucare Medicare Replacement $124.85 ↓ -62%
Great Plains Medicare Advantage Medicare Replacement $126.07 ↓ -61%
Aetna Medicare Replacement $126.07 ↓ -61%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Medicare Replacement $126.07 ↓ -61%
Health Partners Medicare Replacement $126.07 ↓ -61%
United Healthcare Medicare Replacement $126.07 ↓ -61%
Primewest Medicare Replacement $128.52 ↓ -61%
Wellmark HMO $204.00 ↓ -38%
Wellmark PPO $212.16 ↓ -35%
Sanford Health Plan Group Health/True $218.61 ↓ -33%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange True $218.61 ↓ -33%
Security Health Plan Commercial $224.40 ↓ -31%
Sanford Health Plan Commercial/ND Pers $257.16 ↓ -21%
Sanford Health Plan SD Exchange Commercial $257.16 ↓ -21%
Health Partners State Employees $269.28 ↓ -18%
Health Partners Commercial $306.00 ↓ -6%
Medica Choice $336.60 ↑ +3%
United Healthcare Commercial + Top 20 $340.68 ↑ +4%
Aetna Commercial $354.55 ↑ +9%
Ucare Commercial $358.47 ↑ +10%
Medica Elect $359.86 ↑ +10%
Healthez Commercial $367.20 ↑ +13%
First Choice Health Network Commercial $367.20 ↑ +13%
Multiplan Commercial $367.20 ↑ +13%

Visitor-reported prices

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X-ray thoracolumbar spine including skull cervical & sacral spine 1 view at other Iowa hospitals

Hospital City Cash price Negotiated range
MercyOne Genesis Davenport West Medical Center Davenport $144.60 $84.28 – $118.00
MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center Dubuque $159.90 $78.07 – $246.00
MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton $178.10 $77.54 – $274.00
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines $219.05 $67.74 – $337.00
MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton $149.50 $82.37 – $230.00
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center Mason City $163.15 $64.26 – $251.00
MercyOne Genesis Davenport Medical Center Davenport $158.40 $84.28 – $118.00
MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center DeWitt $158.40 $89.76 – $192.72

All Iowa hospitals for this procedure →